The Lost Snow Princess
by puppylover-MCP
Summary: This is an AU where Elsa is kidnapped as a three year old. I got this idea from the story Lost Snowflake, written by AlphaGirl404. It's slightly different than that original, and cleaned up in terms of language and violence. Make sure to check out Lost Snowflake; it's worth a read.
1. Chapter 1

The small, silent kingdom of Arendelle was nestled among mountains and a fjord. The small waves lapped lazily along the shore as the mountains stood erect and tall as if watching over the sleeping kingdom below. Stretched out toward the middle of the fjord, and connected to the village by means of a bridge, lay a rather large castle. Inside the castle, the moon cast gentle beams of light onto the floor of a bedroom. On the left side of the bedroom, lying asleep in her bed, was the young three-year-old princess. Everything was peaceful and quiet, but alas, not all good things last forever.

Silently, the bedroom door creeped open, and a dark head popped inside. The figure, clad in a guard's uniform, slowly creeped into the room, glanced at the sleeping princess, and then motioned to someone else in the hallway. Two more figures joined the first, and while one stood guard at the door, the other two moved stealthily toward the princess. "This is just too easy," the second figure, in his early thirties, commented as he carefully and quickly wrapped a gag around the three-year-old's mouth.

"Be quiet and hurry up! We don't have much time," the third figure, in his late twenties, who was guarding the door, hissed in reply.

The princess, startled awake suddenly at the feel of cloth in her mouth and the sound of voices, stared fearfully at the three men in her room, one of which had lifted her out of her bed and was holding her. Not knowing what else to do, the young princess fought back the only way she knew how, since her mouth was gagged and she couldn't scream for help. In a second, the first figure, who still had on the guard's uniform, found his feet trapped in ice.

"So the rumor's true," the first man whispered in fear, surprise, anger, and amazement all at once.

The second man, who was holding the princess, grunted as he dodged blasts of icy magic. The blasts missed their intended targets and hit the wall instead, covering it with frost. "Hand me the water, now!" he ordered frantically.

The third man quickly handed a bottle of liquid to the second, and then held the princess' arms and hands down while the second man forced the water down the toddler's throat. In seconds, the sleeping pill concealed in the water began its work, and a minute later, the young girl was asleep.

The second man laughed. "Like I said, this is easy. Now let's get out of here, quickly."

"What about me?" The first man, his feet still trapped in the ice, asked.

The third man smirked as he quickly broke the large window. "You did your job. You are of no use to us anymore. I guess you'll have to face the punishment, too bad for you. Goodbye!" With that, a rope was tossed through the window, and the second and third man escaped, the once again sleeping princess still in their clutches. The two men raced through the courtyard of the castle, crept by the sleeping guards, and ran through the gate, across the bridge, through the village streets, and into the forest.

After a few hours of running, a long rock wall came into view. The men approached a section of vines and, glancing around to make sure no one was nearby, the third man swept the vines aside, revealing a large tunnel. After walking through the tunnel's many twists and turns, the trio of people, one still asleep, emerged into a large clearing. The clearing was surrounded by tall cliffs, so tall that one had to crane their neck upward to even see the top. A small waterfall cascaded down one area of the cliffs, forming a small stream that traveled into another hole in the cliffs. In the bright moonlight, several plants and trees could be seen. In the center of all this, a rather large, two-story cabin sat.

The men hurried toward the cabin and knocked on the door quickly, for the princess had started to stir, the effects of the medicine wearing off. The door was answered by a thin woman in her late twenties with jet-black hair that was peeled back into a tight bun, dark eyes, and a face that would scare many. "Will, did you get, you know, the prize?" the woman asked.

"Of course, Betty," the second man replied as he kissed the woman on the cheek. "Why, did you doubt that I could?" He walked quickly inside and laid the princess onto a small sofa.

"The rumors are true, sister," the third man supplied as he, too, walked into the cabin.

"Well, Ben, I guess that makes her more of a prize then besides being just the princess," the woman responded with a smirk.

The three people crowded around the princess, and the woman called Betty untied the little girl's gag, just as the princess opened her eyes. "Who-who are you?" the girl asked fearfully. "'ere am I?" Suddenly remembering what had happened, the princess shot a stream of magic at her captors.

Betty and the two men quickly ducked out of the way, and the man called Will grabbed the princesses arms, pointing her hands toward the wall. "I wouldn't do that if I were you, Princess Elsa," he warned, saying 'princess' as if it tasted bad. "We're the only ones who know the way back. There are wolves and other creatures out there. Creatures who would love to have a little girl such as yourself for a snack."

Elsa's eyes widened even more. "Wolves?" she asked. "But, why d'you want me?"

The woman's eyes softened a little, but not very much. "Will and I have never been able to have any children as of yet, so you are to be our daughter."

"But that's 'ot fair!" Elsa wailed. "I want my mommy and daddy. An' Daddy said I's s'pposed t' be a big sis-ter soon!"

"Oh, stop your whining, girl," the man called Ben snapped, "or we'll put you out where the wolves can get you."

Elsa instantly quieted, but the fear didn't leave her eyes. "I wanna go 'ome," she whimpered quietly after a minute.

"This is your home now," Betty replied.

"Yes, and there will be rules," Will added. "For example, you can play outside in the clearing, but you are not to go into the cave at the edge of it, or there will be consequences." He walked over to a table, picked up a crossbow, and showed it to the three-year-old to prove his point. "Also, you are to refer to Betty and me as 'Mommy and Daddy', and to Ben as 'Uncle Ben'. Understood?" Elsa slowly nodded. "Furthermore, there is to be no more talk of your former family or going back to them, or again, there will be consequences." He tapped the point of the arrow with his finger. "Oh, and you are expected to work in the kitchen and around the house, and when you're a bit older you'll receive schooling. Finally, you are to never use your magic unless you are given permission to during our practice lessons that we will be having, and I will explain the reasons why later on. One more thing. You are no longer a princess anymore. From now on, you are just plain 'Elsa'. Do you understand me?"

Elsa nodded again. "Yes. I can 'lay 'side, but no cave. Call you Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Ben. Don't 'alk 'bout my 'eal Mommy and Daddy, work here, no 'agic 'till you say, and I'm not a 'incess 'nymore. "

Will smiled. "Good. I can see that you are a very smart little girl. Now, how about we start over with a few introductions? Elsa, this is your new mommy, and this is your uncle Ben. I'm your new daddy, and this is your home from now on."


	2. Chapter 2

"Daddy! Daddy, guess what! It's snowing!"

King Agnarr smiled as his five-year-old daughter came bouncing into his office. "Well, Anna, what are you going to do about it then?"

Anna stopped in front of the desk, folded her arms behind her back, and glanced up at her daddy with her best puppy dog eyes. "Can I go outside? Please?" she added.

Agnarr laughed. "Of course you can, Sweetheart. But be careful. And please bundle up first, because I really don't want you catching cold." Anna nodded, grinned and hurried off to do just that. King Agnarr's smile faded as he glanced out the window at the softly falling snow. Today marked what would be Elsa's eighth birthday, December twenty-first. He and the rest of the kingdom had searched far and wide, but could find no sign of the princess. "This is Rapunzel all over again," he had mentioned to his wife shortly after the incident.

Three years before Elsa was born, the daughter of Agnarr's sister and her husband, Rapunzel, had been kidnapped. They still hadn't found her. Five years after Elsa was taken and there was still no sign of either princess. Agnarr had vowed to keep Anna safe, no matter what, so the same fate didn't befall her.

At the sound of the door creaking open, Agnarr turned away from the window to find his wife, Queen Iduna, walking into the room. "It's snowing, you know," she commented.

Agnarr nodded and sighed. "Yes, I know. I just can't bear to be out there after what happened. Today's her birthday." Ever since Elsa had been taken, Agnarr hadn't even set one foot in the snow, as it reminded him to much of his lost daughter. His little snowflake.

"You have to put all this behind you," Iduna pointed out. "What's happened has happened. The past is in the past, and we can't dwell on what could have been. Come, please go outside with me. Spend some time with Anna."

Agnarr hesitated, but finally nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll do it for Anna." The king and queen walked outside into the courtyard together, where they found Anna trying to roll a ball for a snowman.

When she spotted her parents, Anna gave a cry of joy and ran over, throwing her arms around both of them. "Mommy, Daddy, you came outside!"

Agnarr hugged his daughter back. "Yes, we did, Sunshine. Now, what are you doing?"

Anna grinned. "I'm buildin' a snowman! Wanna help?"

"Of course we do, My Sunshine!" Iduna responded with a smile. "What do you want us to do?"

Anna pointed at her daddy. "You can make the first ball, and I'll make the second." She then pointed at her mother. "You make the head." Soon enough, the small family had an oddly shaped snowman standing in front of them. The middle ended up being much smaller than the head, and the head itself was shaped kind of like an oval.

"Here's some sticks for his arms," Iduna offered, helping her daughter put the items in place.

"Don't forget his eyes, mouth, and buttons," Agnarr added, sticking some rocks on the snowman in just the right places.

Anna stepped back and eyed their creation. "It's missing something," she mused. "Wait, I know!" she exclaimed with a gasp. "Be right back!" With that, she raced back into the castle, leaving her parents behind.

"Elsa would have loved this," Agnarr whispered.

Iduna reached over and wrapped her arms around her husband. "I know. She was so excited to be an older sister, and she loved us both very much." The couple stood in silence for a minute before hearing the sounds of Anna racing back across the courtyard.

"I got it!" Anna cried as she ran, her red pigtails bobbing and a carrot in her hand. "We all forgot his nose!"

Agnarr pretended to gasp in horror. "His nose! Oh no, how ever could we miss that?" When Anna reached him, he picked her up and swung her around, causing Anna to laugh with glee.

As soon as Anna's feet were on the ground again, she quickly added the finishing touch to the snowman. "There, now he's perfect!" she proclaimed proudly.

"Well, almost," Iduna replied. "He needs a name."

Anna gasped. "You're right! But what's a really, really good name for him?"

"How about Olaf?" Iduna suggested as she glanced at her husband. Both of their eyes welled up with tears. That was a name they hadn't heard in five years.

"Olaf is a great name!" Anna exclaimed. "And he'll love the summer and warm hugs!" She quickly ran around the back of the snowman. "Hi! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!" she said in as deep of a voice as she could.

The king and queen laughed, just as even more tears came to their eyes. That was the exact things Elsa had said about her snowmen. "Nice to meet you, Sir Olaf," Agnarr greeted with a bow. "I rather like warm hugs myself. Can you convince the princess to give us one?"

Anna laughed and ran over to do exactly what her daddy had asked. After a minute, she looked up to see that her parents were crying. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

Agnarr nodded with a smile as he wiped his eyes. "Of course, Sunshine," he replied as he lifted his daughter into the air once more. "We're just happy that you're happy." Right then and there, Agnarr renewed his vow. Nothing and no one would ever hurt his Sunshine.

_One year later…_

"Papa," Elsa called as she walked through the halls of her home. "I finished cleaning the kitchen, can I go play outside now?"

Will forced a smile. "Of course, Sweetie. But remember, no going beyond the cave. There are dangerous things out there, more dangerous than you can imagine."

Elsa smiled and started for the door, but turned back as she remembered something. "Papa, can I ask you a question?" Will nodded. "I know I had some sort of family before you and Mama, but I can't remember them very well. What were they like? Were they mean or something? Did you, Uncle Ben, and Mama rescue me from them?"

Will had started growing angry at the girl at the start of her questions, but now he realized he could use this to his advantage. He pasted on a pained and concerned smile. "Yes, Elsa. They were very mean people and wanted to hurt you very badly. It was worse when they discovered your powers. Do you remember how I told you that everyone would probably love to get their hands on you and use you for your powers?" Elsa nodded slowly, she did remember that. She had been told that almost every day. "Well, to protect you, we rescued you from your parents so they couldn't hurt you anymore."

Elsa smiled again and hugged her adoptive father. "I love you lots and lots," she whispered.

"I do, too," Will replied. "Now, why don't you go outside and play?"

"Can I use my magic? Pretty please?"

Will was in a good mood, so he nodded again. "Sure, but just this once."

Elsa grinned from ear to ear and raced out the door. A minute later, Betty walked up and joined her husband. "What did she want this time?"

Will sighed. "She wanted to know if her real parents were bad or something."

"And what did you tell her?"

"What do you think?" Will asked with a smirk.

"If you said what I'm thinking of, I don't think we'll have to worry about her running away for much longer."

Will smiled in reply. "Of course. She'll be too scared of the outside world." The couple smirked and hugged each other. "Now how about we go take our naps?"

Outside, Elsa was having the time of her life. She did all kinds of different experiments with her magic. She raced up and down snow hills, ice-skated, slid down slides made of snow, and even built a snowman. Finally, she created a mound of snow and lay down on top of it, staring at the sky. Elsa had often wondered what her real family was like. She could remember two smiling faces, but they continued to fade away the older she grew. She wondered if her papa had been right about her real parents, since she didn't remember any abuse from those two faces. She shook her head. "I probably just don't remember," she whispered to herself. "I was really little then."

Elsa glanced over to where her snowman was standing. She had named him Olaf, and sometimes imagined that he was real and liked warm hugs and the summer. "I wish you were alive," she told the inanimate snowman. "Then I could have you as kind of a brother and I wouldn't be alone." Elsa had always wished for a brother or sister, but she'd never gotten one. She daydreamed sometimes about what having a younger sibling would be like. Elsa wanted a sister most of all, and imagined them doing all kinds of things together.

Her eyes were soon drawn to the cave in the rock wall. It served as the gateway to a world she had never known but longed to. "I think Papa's just a bit overprotective," Elsa commented to her snowman. "The world outside can't be that dangerous, can it?"

Elsa smiled as she imagined her creation shrugging. "Maybe not," she spoke in a deep voice, pretending to be the snowman, "but it's possible. He's probably just trying to keep you safe. You should be satisfied with what you have. After all, you have everything a young girl such as yourself could want."

"Except for a real, live friend," Elsa muttered to herself. Just then, her face brightened as she came up with an idea. "You know what? My birthday's tomorrow, so I think I should be allowed to go outside as a present."

"But you are outside."

Elsa shook her head. "No, I mean outside the wall. I'm pretty sure I'm old enough, after all, I'll be nine tomorrow. In fact, I'm going to do it right now!" She jumped up, a determined look on her face. She knew there would be time, after all, this time of day was when Mama and Papa took their naps, and Uncle Ben was out buying groceries.

Glancing around first just to make sure her adoptive parents weren't watching, she darted toward the cave. It was a little dim inside, so Elsa used her powers as a makeshift lamp. She made her way slowly through the many twists and turns, until she finally spotted daylight ahead. When at last she had reached the vines, she carefully swept them aside and stepped out of the cave. "Wow," Elsa breathed. The outside world looked just like her clearing did, except with several more trees. From what her father had told her, Elsa always imagined the world outside the rock wall to be dry and desolate, but instead, it was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen. Birds flew through the air, chirping and singing to one another. Trees stood erect like soldiers, their branches reaching up toward the sky and their leaves sagging to the ground, forming a large, green and brown canopy, through which several beams of sunlight managed to shine.

Hearing the sound of a twig snapping, Elsa gasped and spun around, quickly making her way back through the tunnel and into her own clearing again. The world outside might not be exactly how she had imagined it, but there were still probably dangers. Although, it was something new to be explored, and Elsa was determined to do just that.


	3. Chapter 3

Over the next few months, Elsa went outside the cave on the days her Uncle Ben was shopping and at the time her parents were napping. She went farther out every day, enjoying her newfound freedom. She always made sure that her trips never got too long, as she would be in big trouble if her family knew what she was doing.

On one of her trips, she had an encounter that she would never forget for the rest of her life. Elsa was walking through the trees one Monday afternoon, taking in all of the beautiful scenery, when suddenly, something tackled her to the ground from behind. Laughter followed a minute later. "I got you!" a child's voice cried. "Oh, I so got you!"

"Can you please get off me then?" Elsa asked pleadingly. She was a little grumpy at having been forced onto the ground like that.

"Oh, okay, sorry," the voice apologized.

Elsa felt the weight move off of her, and she slowly got to her knees. When she had turned around, she gasped in both surprise and fear. Standing in front of her, grinning from ear to ear, was a young girl with bright red hair and blue eyes. ""Who are you?" Elsa asked fearfully, backing away a little.

The girl giggled and stuck out her hand. "I'm Anna, and I'm six years old. What's your name?"

"E-Elsa, and I'm nine." It dawned on Elsa that she probably shouldn't share that information with a stranger, but she couldn't take the words back.

Anna's grin grew even wider. "Hi, Elsa! Wanna play with me? I'm from Arendelle, but me and my mommy and daddy are here camping on vacation."

"Where exactly is here?" Elsa asked. The name 'Arendelle' tugged at something in the back of her mind, but she brushed it off.

"Somewhere past the North Mountain. Besides that, I don't know. So do you wanna play?"

Elsa slowly nodded. This girl seemed nice enough, and besides, she was only six. Also, Elsa dearly wanted a playmate. "Um, okay, sure. But what do you want to play?

"The thing that would be the most fun is building a snowman, but we can't 'cause it's summer and there's no snow. Hey, you wouldn't know of a way to get some snow, would you?"

Elsa hesitated for a minute. She considered telling Anna about her magic, but thought better of it. Her Papa had always told her the dangers of letting others know about her powers, and even though Anna was only six, she still had to be cautious. "I'm sorry, Anna, but like you said, it's summer."

Anna shrugged. "Too bad then. I'm pretty sure Olaf would love to be in summer if he could."

Elsa stared at the younger girl as if she had two heads. "Olaf?"

"Yup. It's the name of the snowman I build whenever it snows. My mommy and daddy came up with it."

"I name my snowmen Olaf, too," Elsa supplied, a little surprised that this girl used the same name.

"Wow, that's something we have in common, I guess. Now, how 'bout we play tag?"

Elsa nodded and grinned mischievously before tapping Anna on the shoulder. "You're it!" she announced as she dashed off.

Anna giggled and chased after the older girl. This was really fun, and she hadn't had very many playmates. Well, except for the snobby princes and princesses that visited Arendelle from time to time, but they were mean. "Hey, slow down!" she cried. "Go easy on me! I'm younger than you and my legs are shorter!" She was answered by giggles from Elsa.

The girls chased each other for the next few minutes, and would have played longer if it weren't for Anna's parents calling her. "Who's that?" Elsa asked a little fearfully when she heard the two voices.

Anna grinned. "That's just my mommy and daddy. They probably want to know where I am. I guess that means I have to go now."

"Yeah, me, too." Elsa was getting slightly nervous that she wouldn't get back before Uncle Ben.

"Wait 'till I tell them about the awesome girl I met in the woods!"

Elsa's eyes grew wide in fright. "No! Please don't tell anyone you saw me."

"Why?"

"Just please don't. Can you promise not to tell your parents?"

Anna nodded and pretended to zip her lips and throw away the key. "My lips are sealed," she promised, trying not to open her mouth while she spoke.

Elsa breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Anna."

"Will I see you again? My family's going to be here until Saturday."

"I don't know," Elsa replied honestly, "but maybe. I'll try to see if I can come here while you're still camping. Can we meet right here tomorrow if I come?"

Anna nodded. "Sure. Hey, can I give you a hug?" Elsa hesitated for a second, but then slowly nodded and Anna jumped into her arms, almost knocking her over. "Bye, Elsa see you tomorrow!"

"Maybe," Elsa corrected. "Bye!" she called as she raced off in the direction of the cave.

"Anna, what in the world were you doing over here?" Agnarr asked.

Anna smiled. "Oh, I was just playing." With that, she and her parents walked back to their campsite.

0o0o0o0o0o

Elsa hurried through the long tunnel and out into the clearing. She was relieved to not find any angry faces looking for her. She rushed inside the cabin and up to her parents' room, and was happy to find that they were still sleeping. Uncle Ben didn't seem to be home yet, so Elsa started on her afternoon chores.

But try as she might, Elsa couldn't help her mind wandering to thoughts of the girl she had met in the woods. Her Papa had always told her that everyone was mean and cruel, even young children, but Anna was the complete opposite. Maybe her Papa was just being overprotective like she had first thought.

Elsa's daydreaming was slowing down her work, so when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs after a while, she quickly snapped out of it and started scrubbing the kitchen floor as fast as she could. Her first afternoon chore was to clean the kitchen, and she had barely even started.

Elsa startled when she heard an angry voice. "Elsa, why is this kitchen not done?"

Gulping nervously, Elsa slowly turned around to face Will. "I'm sorry, Papa, I'll hurry up and finish."

Will folded his arms. "But why haven't you already? What were you doing that delayed you from your work?"

"Nothing," Elsa replied.

"It was obviously something or you'd have been done by now. Tell me the truth or else."

"I was daydreaming," Elsa squeaked.

Will placed his hands on his hips and glared at the girl. "What did you say? I couldn't hear you."

Elsa slowly took a deep breath. She might as well face her punishment, as there was no way around it. "I was daydreaming," she repeated, her voice still quiet but loud enough for Will to hear.

"About what?"

"A g-game I was p-playing th-this afternoon."

"Stop stuttering," Will scolded harshly. "How was a game so important that it kept you from doing what you were supposed to?"

Elsa hung her head, shaking slightly all over. "I-I'm sorry, Papa, it won't happen again."

"I'm glad to hear that, and it better not. But there are still consequences for your actions. Go up to my room."

Elsa's eyes widened in fear as the meaning of his words reached her. "No, Papa! Please! I'm sorry!"

Will tapped his foot on the floor. "I'm waiting. We haven't got all day. My room. Now." Elsa nodded meekly and slowly started up to her parents' room, shaking even harder now.

Ten minutes later, Elsa was back in the kitchen, on her hands and knees, scrubbing the floor. She was sore all over, and she hated that feeling. She hated when Papa beat her, and it wasn't just him alone. Papa, Mama, and Uncle Ben all took their anger out on her. Honestly, Elsa was surprised Anna hadn't mentioned the still-fresh bruises on her face earlier. Well now her face and the rest of her body was even more black and blue, and it hurt.

Still, that kind of treatment was all she had ever known, so Elsa assumed that all parents did that to their children when they were bad. But Anna hadn't had any bruises. Maybe they had just been hidden under her dress, or she was spoiled. Or maybe Anna's parents were just different, as Anna hadn't shown a trace of fear when they called her. Elsa had a new wish to be like Anna. "I'll ask her about beatings tomorrow," Elsa muttered to herself. Then she snapped out of her daydreaming and working as fast as she could. She did not want Papa to beat her again.

Over the next few days, Elsa continued to visit Anna as much as she could. To her delight, everything seemed to work out perfectly. On Tuesday, Uncle Ben joined in the afternoon naps, and on Wednesday, he had to go to a town really far away because the thing he needed to buy wasn't available where he usually went. Because of the distance, he didn't return until Friday, and on Saturday, he came down with a cold and had to stay in bed, and thus joined in the naps again. That was a relief for Elsa, because she had been commanded to be her uncle's temporary nurse, and when he finally dropped off to sleep, she slipped out of the cave again.

Elsa and Anna had a blast playing together over those few days, but it wasn't until Saturday that Elsa finally worked up the courage to ask her very important question. "Anna," she spoke up as the two girls rested under a large tree, "can I ask you something?"

"Sure!"

"Do your parents ever, you know, beat you?"

Anna was confused. "No, why?"

"Are parents supposed to beat up their kids?"

Anna had to think about that question for a minute. "A couple months, ago, I saw the king of the Southern Isles beat his little boy, I think his name was Hans, at a party, and the boy had bruises all over his face. I asked Daddy about it and he said that it was wrong. I get grounded, a time-out, or a spanking sometimes when I don't obey Daddy and Mommy, but they never leave bruises all over me. Why, do your mommy and daddy beat you?"

Elsa slowly nodded. "Yes, sometimes. They do it when they think I've been bad, or when they're angry at something."

Anna frowned as she mulled this over. "Well, it sounds like your mommy and daddy aren't very nice."

Elsa didn't have a response for this, so the girls sat in silence for a minute. Just then, Elsa realized something. "Wait, did you say you saw a king at a party?"

Anna grinned. "Yup. In fact, my daddy's the king of Arendelle."

Elsa gasped. "So that means you're a princess!" It was more of a statement than a question.

Anna nodded. "I guess so, but don't worry. I'm not like those other really snobby princes and princesses."

Elsa jumped up and bowed. "Your Highness!" she exclaimed, using the manners for royalty that she had read about in a book.

Anna giggled. "You don't have to do that for me. Also, you're supposed to curtsy, Elsa, not bow. Only boys bow, and the girls have to curtsy."

Elsa turned red at her mistake. Also, somehow, she suddenly remembered what curtsying was, although her book hadn't mentioned it. She quickly grabbed her skirt and dipped low. "Like this?"

Anna grinned in reply. "You did it right."

Elsa smiled. "Thanks. I'm pretty sure I haven't done that before."

Anna was confused again. "Then how did you do it so good? My mommy and daddy taught me how to curtsy when I was two, and my daddy said that I fell over and was all weird the first couple of times. I still have trouble doing it sometimes, but that might just be 'cause I'm really clumsy."

"I don't know, Anna," Elsa replied as she sat down, even more confused than Anna was, "but I'm pretty sure I learned it somewhere. I just can't remember who taught it to me."

Anna grinned and leaned closer. "Maybe you're a lost princess or something, Elsa, and that's where you remember that from. It's kind of like my cousin Rapunzel. A really mean ol' lady kidnapped her when she was a baby. My daddy told me that they still haven't found her, and she's just a few years older than you. I like to imagine that she's locked in a tower somewhere or something, like the fairy tales in my books."

Elsa laughed. "That's an interesting thought, but I don't think I'm a lost princess. I think I'd know if that were the case. Also, I'm pretty sure that in order to remember anything, you have to be at least two or three."

Anna shook her head. "If you were a lost princess, you wouldn't know it, 'cause whoever stole you wouldn't want you to know. Oh, and I was just kidding about that by the way."

Elsa smiled. "It's something that I'll probably daydream about from now on."

Anna's smiled disappeared and was replaced by a look of sadness. "Will I ever see you again after today, Elsa?"

"I don't know," Elsa replied. She was actually quite certain that she probably wouldn't, but she didn't want to disappoint the little girl. "I hope so, but for one, I'm not exactly sure where you live."

"Oh, that's easy. I already told you I live in Arendelle."

"But I don't know where Arendelle is."

Anna grinned again and jumped up. "Do you see that really big mountain?" she asked. Elsa nodded. She had wondered what that was. "It's called the North Mountain. It's three days away from here, and Arendelle is to the right of it," Anna continued. "The town where I live is right by the fjord, and the castle, my house, is in the middle of the water. You should ask your mommy and daddy if you can come visit me."

Elsa smiled sadly. "My parents don't really trust other people, so I'd probably have to go alone, if I get to go at all."

Anna wondered who Elsa's parents were and why they were so mean and untrustworthy, but she decided to drop the subject when she heard her parents call her. "Are you ready to meet my mommy and daddy?" she asked.

Anna had finally convinced Elsa to meet her parents, and today was the day. Elsa had borrowed some of her mama's hair dye and colored her hair brown because her papa had told her once that her white-blonde hair was weird and no one else had it. Also, Elsa really didn't want to be recognized later on, as that could probably lead to trouble. Elsa nodded slowly. "Sure."


	4. Chapter 4

When Agnarr and Iduna found the two girls, they were shocked to find a stranger standing with their daughter. The new girl looked rather familiar, in fact she looked a lot like Iduna. For a second, a faint hope sprouted in the king and queen's hearts that this might be Elsa, but this girl had brown hair, so she couldn't be. "Who's your new friend?" Iduna asked.

Anna grinned. "Mommy, Daddy, this is Elise," she announced. Anna couldn't figure out why Elsa didn't want her real name known, but the older girl had begged her to keep it a secret, and Anna complied.

"Well hello, Elise," Agnarr greeted. "Are you alright, dear?" he asked, noticing the way the young girl was staring at them intently.

Elsa shook her head to snap out of her daze. She recognized these people. She had seen them before, but couldn't remember when or who they were. Remembering that she was in the presence of more royalty, she quickly dipped into a curtsy. "Yes, Your Majesties. Forgive me for staring, that was rude. I've just never met royalty before."

Iduna smiled. "It's quite alright, Elise. And what do you mean? You've been around Anna."

Elsa shrugged. "She didn't tell me she was a princess until today."

Agnarr concluded from that sentence that Anna had been around the girl longer than he had thought, and remembered how Anna had disappeared for a while every day they had been camping. He decided to drop this issue and ask Anna about it later. "Well, that explains that slight little predicament then."

Elsa smiled in reply. "Anna has told me a lot about you, and I'm honored to meet you." She quickly dipped into another curtsy. "But I'm afraid that I must go. My parents are expecting me home soon, and I'll be in big trouble if I'm late." Elsa did not feel like going into just how much trouble she'd be in if her parents and uncle knew she was out here. She quickly hugged Anna goodbye, much to the younger girl's delight, curtsied once more to the royal family, and dashed off toward her home. "Goodbye!" she called over her shoulder.

"What a delightful young girl," Iduna commented when Elsa had disappeared.

Agnarr folded his arms and turned to his daughter. "Anna, just how long have you known that girl? Is that why you kept disappearing?"

Anna nodded meekly. "Yeah, I met her Monday. She asked me to please not tell anyone about her, including you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"If she asked you not to, I guess maybe your actions are a little bit justified, but why would she not want anyone to know who she was?"

Anna shrugged. "I don't know, Daddy. I asked her once, but she didn't answer me."

"Agnarr, did you see those bruises on Elise's arms and face?" Iduna asked worriedly.

Anna cut in before her father could answer. This answer she knew. "She said her mommy and daddy beat her when they think she's bad or if they're mad at something. She asked me if you beat me and if it's okay for a mommy and daddy to do that."

Agnarr and Iduna were horrified. They looked at each other in shock. "That sounds like she's been abused her entire life," Agnarr pointed out.

"Should we go talk to her parents?" Iduna asked. "Anna, where does Elise live?"

"I don't know. She didn't tell me," Anna replied. "But I do know that she didn't know where this place was at, or about Arendelle, or the North Mountain."

"So she doesn't know much about where she is or the nearby geography," Agnarr mused. "It sounds like poor Elise has been hidden her whole life or something."

Iduna nodded sadly. "Unfortunately, we can't do anything unless we know where she lives. Anna, did she say anything about seeing you again?"

"I told her where we live and that she should ask her mommy and daddy if they can come visit us, but she said they don't trust other people. She said she'd have to come by herself, if she gets to come at all."

"This is a very interesting situation," Agnarr commented, "but like your mother already said, there's nothing we can do unless Elise shows up again."

"Why don't we all head home now?" Iduna suggested. "The horses and the wagon are waiting for us."

Agnarr nodded. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Oh, and, Anna?"

"Yes, Papa?" Anna replied innocently. She had an idea of what her father was going to say next.

"When we get home, we're going to a have a little talk about running off without permission."

0o0o0o0o0o

When Elsa arrived back home, she gasped when she stopped in the kitchen to find her father standing there, awake. "Um, hi, Papa," she greeted.

"Elsa, where have you been? Your uncle has been calling for you to attend to him."

Elsa ducked her head sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I just came inside. I guess I couldn't hear him."

Will was in a rare good mood, so he wasn't as upset as he usually was. "Well, hurry up then. And please learn to come when you're called. Next time, you won't get away so easily. Also, you have your lessons later, and I hope you did your homework. Run along now, you don't want to keep your uncle waiting. You know he doesn't like that." Elsa nodded and hurried off to Uncle Ben's room. Her uncle got very upset when he had to wait too long for stuff.

Over the next year, Elsa didn't go back outside the rock wall. It was partly because the last close call had made her nervous, and partly because she just never got the chance. She was busy with chores and school for most of her day, and she could never finish them fast enough on the days uncle Ben was gone to have time to go out before he got back. Eventually, Elsa decided to ask about going out. She knew it was probably a dumb effort, and she'd probably get in trouble for it, but she had to try anyway. Finally, two days before her eleventh birthday, she popped the question.

"Papa, can I ask you something?" Elsa had waited until her father was in the best mood possible.

"Sure."

"Well, as you know, my birthday's in two days, and I thought about what I wanted for my present."

"Oh?" Will asked with a raised eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"I just, it would be nice if, I mean it really would, but-"

"Elsa, stop stalling."

"Iwanttogooutsidetherockwalljustthisonce," Elsa announced in a rush.

"Now why on earth would you want to do that? I've told you the dangers."

Elsa sighed. "I know, and that's why I thought you could go with me. We don't have to go very far outside the wall, just enough to let me see what the outside dangers are."

Will rubbed his temple, feeling his temper flaring up. "Elsa, I've told you before. There are things out there. Bad things."

"What kind of things?" Elsa challenged. "You've never told me enough to make it sound all that dangerous."

Will held up his fingers and started counting them off. "Poisonous bugs, cannibals, poisonous snakes, bandits, ruffians, spiders, deathly sicknesses, lions, tigers, bears, wolves, people who would use you for your magic, etc., shall I go on?"

Elsa slowly shook her head. "Are you sure things are that bad? And if they are, you can come with me to protect me."

Will shook his head. "Yes, I'm sure. And we are done talking about this. I don't want to hear anymore. You're too little and fragile to be out in the real world, and the real world is much, much too dangerous."

Elsa decided to listen to her papa for now, but she didn't forget about what she wanted. For the next two weeks, she pestered her father about going outside, but he always either ignored her or changed the subject. Finally, one day, Will had had enough and answered her questioning.

"Elsa, I already told you. The real world is too dangerous for you. And didn't I tell you to stop asking?"

At this, Elsa exploded. From what her papa was telling her, it sounded like everything in the world was bad, and she knew that was wrong. "How would you know? You've never even been out there! Uncle Ben's always the one to make the trips outside!"

Now Will was losing his patience with the girl. "I said we're done talking about it, Elsa. Now drop the issue, or there will be consequences."

But Elsa was beyond listening. "The real world's not that bad you know! I went out there and it's perfectly fine!" she nearly shouted. A second later, she clapped her hands over her mouth when she realized what she had said. She gulped as her papa stood up, crossed his arms, and glared down at her. She had revealed her secret. She couldn't take back the words, and she was in big, huge trouble now.

"What did you just say?" Will asked, his voice dangerously calm.

"N-nothing," Elsa replied, dearly wishing she could turn back time. She stumbled back when a sharp stinging sensation flared up on her cheek.

Will raised his hand, ready to slap the girl again if she didn't answer. "Tell me what you said. Now. Or else."

Elsa backed into the corner of the room, her papa following her. She hung her head and braced herself for whatever her father would do to her next. "R-remember that d-day when Uncle B-Ben was s-sick and he was c-calling for me and I didn't c-come?"

Will nodded. "Stop stuttering, girl. Get the words out right."

"I-I went o-outside the wall." Elsa whimpered when she felt another slap on her cheek, and then a kick to her leg.

"Go to the kitchen," Will ordered.

"Why?" Elsa asked. Usually when her father wanted to beat her, he took her to his room.

"Now!" Elsa obeyed immediately. "Stand in the corner, and face the wall," Will commanded. "Stay there until I get back."

Elsa heard her father's footsteps fade away up the stairs. "What have I done, oh, what have I done?" Elsa whispered to herself. A minute later, she heard her papa coming back into the kitchen.

"Put your hands behind your back." Elsa did what she was told, and soon felt a rope being tied around her hands.

Elsa risked a glance over her shoulder at the sound of Papa rummaging around the kitchen. She gasped when she saw him pull out a knife. "Papa, no! Please no! I'm sorry!"

"It's too late for that," Will replied as he walked back toward Elsa, the knife in his hand. "You went out when you were specifically told not to. You were very bad, and bad people get their punishment paid to them. Now, be quiet, turn back around, and hold still."

"Please no," Elsa whispered quietly as she obeyed. She was shaking all over, terrified of what her papa was going to do with that knife. She tensed up when she felt the cold blade touch her cheek. She started to shake again as more and more pressure was applied. Then she whimpered and tears streamed down her cheeks as the knife slid back, splitting the skin apart. After a few more agonizing seconds, Elsa felt the knife leave her skin. A moment later, her bonds were cut.

Just then, Elsa heard a gasp. She turned to see her mother standing in the doorway of the kitchen. "Will! What on earth did you just do to her?"

"Taught her a lesson, that's what I did," Will replied, not in the least bit apologetic.

"By cutting her cheek? Really? Oh, Elsa, you poor dear! Come here and let me fix you up." Betty rushed to the sink, grabbed a cloth and got it wet, then wiped away the blood on Elsa's cheek before holding it to the wound. Then she hugged Elsa tight, pressing the girl's face against her chest, still holding the cloth on Elsa's cheek.

Elsa couldn't help smiling, even through the pain on the side of her face. Her mama had been a lot nicer the past four months, and Elsa knew why. One, Betty was expecting a baby, and it was due any day. Two, she was holding a grudge against Will for not bringing her what she wanted during one of her middle-of-the-night cravings, and thus wanted to spite him by caring more about their eleven-year-old charge. Elsa thought the reason for that last bit was a little silly, but she didn't dare argue. Besides, she liked having someone to care about her without beating her, even if it was probably only for a short time. "I'm sorry, Mama," Elsa whimpered.

"Sorry for what? What did you do?"

"She went outside the wall," Will replied.

Betty stiffened. "When?"

"Last year," Elsa answered, "when Uncle Ben was sick."

Betty gave a small laugh. "Will, you can't honestly think doing that to her was right, now can you? It was last year for goodness sake! Also, we've kept her locked up here for so long, of course she'd want to go out there!"

Will huffed. "Well excuse me! You'd be upset at her, too, if it wasn't for that ridiculous grudge you're holding against me."

Betty stiffened once again. "Will, that's enough. I do not wish to discuss this right now. Elsa, go up to your room and rest on your bed. Make sure to hold this cloth against your cheek until it stops bleeding."

Elsa happily obeyed. She grabbed a book to read, but she couldn't focus on the words. She was trying to figure out why in the world her papa had purposely cut her like that. He'd never done that before, he had just beat her a lot. Somehow, she knew what he had done was wrong. And according to Anna's father, beating your child up was wrong, too. Still, Elsa vowed right then and there that she would never forget her dream of going out of the rock wall again. She wouldn't tell anybody, but she wouldn't forget it either.


	5. Chapter 5

A week later, Betty had her baby, or rather babies. Elsa now had twin half-siblings, two boys named Adam and Arron. Both boys had black hair like their parents, although Arron's was curly while Adam's hair was as straight as an arrow. Both had inherited their mother's brown eyes and their father's freckles. Elsa, of course, was ordered to help look after the twins, not that she cared since she thought the two were adorable. The two parents gave all their attention to the boys, and paid little heed to Elsa. The young girl was glad that she didn't get beaten much anymore, except by her uncle, but she felt rejected, and it got worse as the months passed by.

Also, Elsa began to notice something. While Will and Betty had beat her and yelled at her for as long as she could remember, they never gave that treatment to the twins. Elsa assumed that it was just because the boys were still tiny babies, but when two years had passed and the twins were still treated like they were their parents' only world, it left Elsa feeling very confused. Elsa eventually realized that she was the one who had been mistreated, and that loving parents shouldn't do that. Now Elsa wondered if her real parents had really been as bad as her adoptive papa told her, or if they were nice and Will and Betty were the bad people.

Elsa finally had had enough and made up her mind that she would run away the first chance she got. That plan should have been pretty easy since her parents didn't pay any attention to her, but ever since her papa had found out about her temporary escape, Uncle Ben had been posted as a makeshift guard outside the cabin. When Elsa went outside to play, she could feel his eyes on her, watching her. He also carried around a crossbow, which made Elsa terrified that he would shoot her if she even took one step into the cave. He would, she knew.

When Betty had another baby, a girl named Alice, the summer that Elsa was thirteen, and treated that child well, too, Elsa was beyond a doubt sure that what her parents had been doing to her was wrong. So she dreamed up all kinds of different escape plans and longed for the day she could execute them.

Finally, finally, her chance came. Five months after her fourteenth birthday, Uncle Ben fell ill again. What started as a simple cold turned into pneumonia, and three weeks later, in the middle of June, he died. Elsa was a little sad that one of the only people she had known her entire life was gone, but she didn't exactly miss him. Uncle Ben had been even meaner to her than her mama and papa, and she was glad she didn't have to be afraid of him anymore. Also, she now had the perfect opportunity to escape. Since Uncle Ben was no longer around to monitor her every move outside the cabin, Elsa didn't have to worry about that part. Also, ever since her uncle's death, her parents had moped around the house, acting as if the weight of the world was on their shoulders. They went to bed earlier and got up later, and if they payed attention to Elsa at all, it was to take their pain, anger, and sadness out on her by beating or yelling at her.

Elsa felt sorry for Adam, Arron, and Alice, as the poor children had no idea why their parents were acting that way. Ben had been Betty's twin brother, and the two had been as close as siblings can be. Will, on the other hand, had been best friends with Ben for years, and it tore his heart to see that friend gone. Elsa felt sorry for them, too, but only a little bit, as she was too focused on how she could escape.

Then, one night in early July, Elsa decided that it was now or never. She would run away and never come back. After all, these weren't her real parents in the first place, that she had known all her life. She waited until she was sure her mama and papa were asleep, and then started on her plan. She had gotten ahold of three large potato sacks and hidden them under her bed. She then used these to pack. "Now, what can I take?" she asked herself. "I can't pack too much, or I'll never be able to get very far." Just then, she had an idea. Elsa turned to her bed and held out her hands. Her magic swirled around the piece of furniture and lifted it a foot into the air. Elsa nearly squealed in delight as she carefully set the bed back down on the floor. Weight wasn't a problem now. She could take as much as she needed.

The first thing she put into her sack was two changes of clothes. She had already gotten dressed, so that made three altogether. She made sure to pick the largest and loosest dresses from her closet, since she needed them to last a while. Next, she filled the sack with her nightgown, toothbrush, as much toothpaste as she could find, every bottle of soap in the house, perfume and other essentials, a notebook, several pencils and pens, her diary, her favorite dolls, stuffed animals, and other toys, and as many books as she could fit, which was thankfully more than ten.

The second sack she filled with food. She cleaned out the cupboards and the icebox since she could keep things cold with her magic. She even took out some of the spices and other things like that, since she knew how to cook several different meals from memory. Elsa made sure to coat things like eggs and bread in a block of non-melting ice so the items didn't get broken or smashed. She didn't take any water, however, since she basically had a built-in endless supply. After the kitchen was clear, she crept outside to the garden she had helped plant as soon as the weather started to warm up. Several different kinds of things had been planted, such as carrots, peas, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, and radishes, and Elsa used her magic as a lamp so she could see what was ripe and what wasn't. There also happened to be an apple tree in the corner of the clearing, which Elsa quickly scaled. The rest of the food potato sack was filled with as many of these fruits and vegetables as she could fit, and that were ripe enough to eat.

The first things she put into the third and final sack was material and sewing supplies. Elsa didn't plan on coming back, and she needed ways to make new clothes when she grew out of her current ones. One of her household chores was making and fixing clothes, so learning to sew wasn't a problem. She picked out all of the shades of blue, purple, and white out of her mother's sewing supplies, and estimated that she had enough to make at least three dresses. She would just wear her current ones as long as she could. Elsa made sure to throw in plenty of thread and needles, along with a pair of scissors. The next things to go in this bag were a pot, a pan, two bowls, two plates, the same amount of knives, forks, and spoons, a large spoon, spatula, ladle, and two cups. She would need these things for meals. Finally, two towels and washcloths and a blanket were added to the third sack.

At last, her supplies was ready. Now Elsa had to finish her plan. She rushed outside and left a large pile of snow underneath her parents' window. Then she stood in the doorway of the cabin and created a long, icy tunnel from the door to the cave entrance. Leaving her sacks in the entrance of the tunnel, Elsa quietly crept up the stairs. Years of experience had taught her where all the creaky boards in the floor were, so she carefully avoided them. She left a wall of ice in front of her parents' door, trying to prevent them from following her. They weren't completely trapped, as they could jump out the window into the snow and then go inside the cabin again through the back door, but they had to be brave enough to jump.

Next, Elsa crept into the twins' room. She was a little sad to have to leave them, since she adored all three kids, but she couldn't stay here anymore. Carefully opening their toy chests, she quickly made three small ice statues. Each of these statues was of Elsa holding either Adam, Arron, or Alice, and Elsa made sure to add her name at the bottom. She also left a sheet of ice with a picture of her face in it, because she didn't really want the kids to forget her. All these pieces were made of non-melting ice, so they would last forever unless someone broke them. Elsa then buried the items in the toy chest, since she didn't want them found right away. Her parents might destroy them, but she wanted to try anyway. Elsa quietly gave each twin a kiss on the cheek and whispered goodbye to them, and they stirred slightly, but didn't wake up. She didn't dare try to tell Alice goodbye, since the young girl still slept in her parents' room.

At the entrance of the tunnel, Elsa glanced back at cabin that had been her only home for many years. Then she tied her sacks together with a tight band of ice, picked them up with her magic, and raced off through the tunnel toward the cave. Elsa made sure to seal both of the cave entrances with a sheet of ice behind her as she ran.

When she reached the spot where she used to meet up with Anna five years ago, Elsa stopped and breathed a sigh of relief. The sigh soon turned into giggles, the giggles turned into outright laughter, and the laughter turned into a shout of joy. "I'm free!" Elsa exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "I'm finally really, truly free! No more parents ignoring or beating me, no more nights of going to bed hungry because I got my food taken away from me. I'm free!" she repeated again before lowering her arms. She scowled as her hand brushed her cheek, where a scar had formed from the knife cut three years ago. Elsa smiled again as she realized that her papa couldn't do that to her ever again.

Then next problem Elsa had was figuring out where she would go. She thought about going to Arendelle to see Anna, but she wasn't too keen on being around a ton of people yet, especially since she was still sure that they were all dangerous and would use her for her magic except for Anna's family. Elsa looked toward the North Mountain, its snow-covered peak shining brightly like a beacon in the moonlight, as a plan formed in her mind. She could stay there, and no one would find her.

Grinning, Elsa started to run again, this time having a direction in mind. She ran all through the rest of the night. Early the next morning, Elsa stopped at a clump of bushes beside a river. She found that there were fish swimming in that river, and quickly caught several, froze them in blocks of non-melting ice, and added them to her food sack. She also pulled out the bottle of milk and loaf of bread for breakfast. When she was finished, she sealed the bottle of milk with ice and covered it in another ice block so it wouldn't spoil. Then, she hid her sacks, curled up on the ground, and fell asleep.

When Elsa awoke many hours later, the sky was already turning colors as the sun set. She quickly collected her supplies and set off toward that very high mountain once again, alternating between long periods of running and walking in between taking short rests. When the sky became light again, she slept through the day until the moon shone once more.

On the third night, soon after she started walking, Elsa met up with one of the very things she had been warned of her entire life. Wolves. "N-nice wolves," she said as she backed away. "You don't want to eat me, I probably don't taste very good." The wolves, of course, didn't listen, and only continued to close in on their prey. Elsa was terrified until she remembered that she had a weapon. She shot icicles at the wolves, and a couple minutes later, they had all run off, their tails between their legs.

It wasn't until the fourth night that Elsa finally reached the North Mountain. Well, the bottom of it anyway. She still had to climb it. She rested for the whole day again, and when it got dark, she started her ascent, making up a song in her head to pass the time. Just as the sun began to rise, Elsa came to the edge of a cliff. On the other side of the deep chasm was another cliff, where a cave could clearly be seen. Smiling, Elsa created a long staircase that reached to the opposite cliff, and ran up it. At the top, she turned around and dissolved her ice so no one could follow her. After all, her only protection was her magic, and that wouldn't work if she was asleep.

Elsa walked into the cave and looked around. It was just big enough for her. Turning around, she created a small cabin in front of the entrance, with a door leading into the natural structure. Leaving her things in the cave, Elsa walked inside the cabin and examined it. It only had two rooms, but it would work. One room she made her bedroom, and created a bed out of snow and ice to sleep on, a desk, a bookshelf to fill with her books, and a chest to put her toys in. Elsa grinned from ear to ear. "This is my new home," she said to herself. "I'm never going back to that horrible place." She flopped onto her bed and promptly fell asleep.

Over the next year, Elsa fended pretty well for herself. She stretched out her food supply as long as she could, and still had some left by her fifteenth birthday. When it was gone, she walked to the nearby woods and found some squirrels and rabbits to eat. Thankfully, she didn't have another wolf encounter. As well as Elsa was getting along, she was lonely, and longed for a friend. She often talked to her dolls, stuffed animals, or the snowmen she built. Everything was normal, albeit lonesome. Well, everything was normal until a day in the middle of summer when Elsa's wish was granted.

She was bored again, as usual, and decided to build a snowman. As she had done many times before when she didn't fell like rolling out the snowballs, she built the snowman directly with her magic, remembering all the rare happy times she had had doing that particular activity at her old home. Suddenly, another wave of loneliness came over Elsa, and she curled up on the floor of her bedroom, covering her face with her arms as she cried. "I wish you could talk," she muttered, more to herself than to the snowman. "I wish you were alive so I wouldn't be alone."

"Hi, I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs! And summer. And don't worry, I can talk!"

Elsa gasped and jerked her head up. She screamed and backed into the corner when she saw the live snowman before her. "Wha-? Who-?" was all she managed to say.

The snowman grinned even wider. "Like I said, I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs," he repeated.

Elsa stared at the snowman in shock. "Olaf?" she asked faintly. How was this possible? As far as she knew, snowmen didn't talk.

Olaf nodded. "Yup. You built me just a few seconds ago. Remember that?"

"A-and you're a-alive?"

"Um, I think so?" Olaf replied, his answer coming out as more of a question as she flexed his twig arms.

Elsa stared at her hands. Was her magic really able to create live snowmen? She knew her powers grew stronger the older she got, but she didn't know they were this strong. "I-I made you with my magic, and you're alive?" she asked again.

Olaf nodded once more. "Yup. And now I can be your friend so you won't be alone!"

Elsa smiled. "I would like that." Well, the loneliness issue was solved. Now everything was perfect. Now if only she could work up the courage to go see Anna.


	6. Chapter 6

Two years ago…

"Anna, what have I told you about riding your bike down the stairs?" Agnarr was standing at the bottom of one of the castle's staircases, his arms crossed, scolding his daughter while the servants cleared away what was left of Anna's bike.

Ten-year-old Anna hung her head sheepishly. "Um, that it's really fun and okay if I do it?" she asked hopefully.

Agnarr frowned. "Not quite what I had in mind. What did I really say?"

"Not to do it because it's super dangerous and I could break my neck," Anna muttered. Her father had always been very protective, and while Anna enjoyed the extra attention he gave her, his overprotectiveness was starting to annoy her.

"That's more like it. Now what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Sorry, Papa."

Agnarr smiled. "Thank you." He picked Anna up and held her close, despite her protests. "Please don't do that again. I love you very much, Anna, and I don't want you to get hurt."

Anna hugged her father back. "I love you, too, Papa, but I really wish you'd let me do some things on my own."

Agnarr didn't answer that. "Why don't you go see if your mother is ready for our trip into town?" he asked as he set his daughter back down on the floor, trying to change the subject.

Anna grinned. "Okay!" She dashed off to do what her papa asked. Trips into town were rare, and they were and adventure every time. Anna raced up the stairs, through the twists and turns of the maze of hallways, and burst into her parents' room. "Mama!" she called. "Mama, are you in here?"

Iduna laughed from the chair she was sitting in. "Yes, Anna. What did you want?"

"Papa wants to know if you're ready to go."

"Alright, now where was it we were going again?" Iduna asked teasingly.

Anna huffed and crossing her arms. "Town! Where else?" Seeing the smile on her mother's face, Anna huffed again in slight annoyance, runup to her mother, grabbed her arms, and pulled her out of the room.

"Anna, slow down!" Iduna managed through her laughter. "You're going to land both of us on the floor!"

"Don't care right now," Anna replied tersely. "Going to town is more important than our faces meeting the carpet at the moment." Iduna only continued to laugh and shook her head at her daughter's enthusiasm.

Anna dragged her mother all the way down to the castle's front entrance where they found King Agnarr waiting for them. "Well, Iduna," he said. "I assume you're ready?"

"I didn't have a choice, thanks to Anna here," Iduna replied with a laugh. "But yes, I am. And we had better get going soon before-"

"Before I burst from inside to outside!" Anna finished, and all three royals erupted in laughter.

"Okay, okay, don't burst!" Agnarr responded as he tried to stop laughing. "I'm pretty sure that would hurt." He winked at his daughter, and Anna giggled in reply. "Alright, Anna, we are leaving in three, two, one, now!" He opened the door and the small family walked outside the castle, across the courtyard, through the gates, across the bridge, and into the town square.

"This is so exciting!" Anna exclaimed.

Agnarr smiled, but then his expression turned serious as she knelt down on one knee and looked the young princess in the eye. "Anna, I know you're overjoyed to be out here, but you must be careful. Remember to-"

"Stay close, hold your or Mama's hand, don't wander off, be careful of strangers, and if I do get lost, meet you back here," Anna interrupted. Her father repeated his instructions every time they went into the village, and Anna now had them memorized.

Agnarr chuckled. "Well, it seems you know what to do then. Now listen closely. Your mother and I want to interview the shop owners to see how their businesses are faring. It's going to take awhile, but I need you to be patient and stay close. When we're finished, we can have some fun together, such as getting some chocolate or having a picnic in the woods."

"Yum! I love chocolate!" Anna cried with a grin. She was sure she'd die if all the chocolate in the world suddenly disappeared. Chocolate was her life.

"She gets that from you, Agnarr, just like-" Iduna abruptly cut herself off before she mentioned their lost daughter.

Agnarr decided to ignore the last bit, as he didn't want to let it spoil this perfect day, but his eyes still welled up a little. "Maybe, but you love that gooey, sweet treat, too, Iduna, and don't you dare deny it." The couple quickly kissed each other.

"Aw!" Anna exclaimed. "That's just like my fairy tales! Now come on!" The king and queen laughed as they were pulled along to the first shop by the arms. That was one way Anna was different from her still-missing older sister. While Elsa would have probably exclaimed 'Yuck!' and begged not to be around the next time, Anna thought it was the sweetest thing ever and something right out of her storybooks.

"Alright, Anna, remember, stay out here," Agnarr told his daughter right before he walked inside to interview the first shop owner.

"Okay, Papa," Anna replied, and plopped down on the bench right outside the door. She did what her father had told her through the next few visits. They visited a baker, jeweler, seamstress, candy shop, another baker, a woodcarver, a carpenter, a florist, a bookseller, another florist, a cobbler, another seamstress, a doll cobbler, and another carpenter. By this time, Anna was getting bored, and her parents still had like, a million more places to go. Anna tried her best to wait patiently, but it was getting harder to do by the minute.

While waiting outside the glassblower's, Anna suddenly caught a whiff of something. "What is that amazing smell?" she asked herself. She sniffed again to make sure. "Chocolate!" she exclaimed. Her stomach was growling at her to get something to eat by this point, and try as she might, she couldn't hold back. The chocolate was holding her in a sort of trance, and she followed the smell through the hustle and bustle of people.

"Hey!" Anna yelled as she bumped into something that knocked her to the ground.

"I'm really sorry, Miss," a voice apologized. "I didn't see you there. Are you alright?"

Anna turned around to find out who the voice belonged to. "Hey," she said again, a little softer when she found a young boy only a few years older than her with blonde hair and a reindeer at his side looking worriedly down at her. "Um, yes, I'm okay. I just wasn't watching where I was going. Sorry. Who are you? You're really tall! Wait, what?" Anna couldn't figure out why she had said that, as it wasn't that important to the conversation. Also, he was standing over her at the moment, so of course he was tall.

The boy threw an arm around the reindeer's neck. "I'm Kristoff, and this is Sven, who I'm pretty sure is who you bumped into. I'm an ice harvester. Or at least, I will be when I'm older, since I'm still training. Oh, sorry!" he added when he remembered that he should probably help the girl up.

Anna accepted Kristoff's hand and was soon standing on her feet again. "Thanks for helping me, Christopher. I don't think I've seen you around here before, not that I see many people."

Kristoff shrugged. "It's Kristoff, not Christopher," he corrected. "And I don't think I've seen you before, either. I live up near the North Mountain with my family, so I only come down here to sell ice. Um, I think we have a bit of a problem. You know my name, but I don't know yours."

"Oops," Anna replied. She quickly dipped into a curtsy, remembering the manners her parents had taught her. "I'm Princess Anna of Arendelle, since apparently I'm supposed to use that whole title. But you can just call me Anna and leave out the fancy part," she added when Kristoff exclaimed 'your Highness!" and bowed as fast as he could. "It's nice to meet you, Christopher, er, I mean Kristoff."

"You sure?" Kristoff asked. He didn't feel right calling a princess by her first name. "I wouldn't want to be disrespectful or anything."

Anna nodded. "Yup! The only people I make call me by my title are all those snobby princes and princesses, because they're, you know, snobby. Wait, what? Um, did that make any sense?"

Kristoff laughed. "Yes, it did. What are you doing here by yourself? Where are your parents?"

Anna glanced around thoughtfully. "Well, it's like this. I saw them last at the glassblower's, because they're interviewing different shop owners. I smelled chocolate, and I was really hungry, so I followed the smell until I bumped into you. Um, I think I'm lost," she added, aware now that the area was unfamiliar to her.

"Well that sounds like a problem then," Kristoff replied. "Are you supposed to meet them somewhere?"

Anna nodded. "Yup, the square by the castle bridge. Do you know the way back? But I want to buy that chocolate first before I look for my parents. Please tell me you know where the chocolate is!"

Kristoff laughed again. "Well, I know that I saw a chocolate stand on my way over here, and I think I can lead you back to that, although I don't think that's a problem since your nose can probably sniff it out. As for the square, um, I know where it is, but I'm not sure I can find my way back through the crowd." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as an idea came to him. "Wait a minute! The clock tower! If we climb up there, we can see where the square is."

Anna grinned in reply. "That's a really good idea! But remember, chocolate first!" She lifted her nose and sniffed. "This way!" She called as she pulled Kristoff behind her.

"So, um, how old are you?" Kristoff asked as he and Sven followed the young princess. "Forgive my awkwardness. I'm not much of a people person."

Anna laughed. "That's okay, Kristoff. I just turned ten last month. How old are you?"

"Thirteen," Kristoff replied tersely. "You, um, love chocolate, don't you?" he asked after a moment.

"Yup!" Anna stopped walking and made gagging noises while pretending to choke herself. "I couldn't live without it!" Then her mind returned to her chocolate mission.

Kristoff chuckled. This crazy princess was making him feel at ease in a way no other person could. She obviously wasn't one of those prim and proper royal girls that he had heard about, and that calmed his nervousness at being around a princess. "I can see that," he replied, going along with her little act.

"Exactly!" Anna called back. Then she gasped as she saw her target in front of her. "There it is!" she cried, pointing to the chocolate cart.

"Good afternoon, Princess Anna," the man who owned the cart greeted. "What can I get for you today?"

"Four boxes of chocolate!"

The man raised his eyebrows at the amount, but quickly filled the order. "Now, don't eat those too fast," he teased. Anna and her parents had bought sweets from him before, and he knew about Anna's passion for chocolate.

Anna grinned. "I'll try not to, but that's easier said than done. Come on, Kristoff, let's go find somewhere to sit." The two children found their way through the crowd and finally reached a small space by a wall that didn't have anyone around it.

"Um, Prin-er, Anna," Kristoff stuttered. "What're you going to do with all that chocolate?"

"Two boxes are for me, one's for my parents as an apology, and this one," Anna replied, pulling out one of the boxes, "is for you. I hope you like chocolate."

Kristoff smiled. "As a matter of fact, I do. Thank you very much!"

The two sat in silence eating their chocolate for a minute, until Anna suddenly remembered her predicament. "Oh, no, my parents! They're probably looking for me! Papa is going to be so upset with me for running off! Quick, we need to get to the clock tower." Anna and Kristoff hurriedly picked up their supplies and kept their eyes on the tall tower as they raced toward it through the hustle and bustle of the town.

When the young princess and ice harvest reached the clock tower, Kristoff left Sven at the bottom before leading Anna up the many stairs and out unto the ledge. "Why don't we sit here for a minute?" Kristoff suggested.

"Okay," Anna replied as she plopped down beside her new friend. She giggled with satisfaction a second later. "My papa would freak out if here saw me sitting up here. He'd probably say something along the lines of, 'Anna, get down from here this instant before you fall and break your neck! That's very dangerous!' and not be satisfied until I got down."

"I take it the king is a little protective of you," Kristoff commented.

Anna snorted. "Overprotective is more like it. I can't try anything without him fussing at me! Earlier, I rode my bike down the stairs, crashed into one of the suits of armor, and broke my bike. I didn't get hurt since I landed in the suit's arms, but Papa was still pretty upset. A few months ago I climbed on top of the roof. He was really mad at me and wouldn't let me out of his sight for a month!"

"Yikes!" Kristoff exclaimed. "But it sounds like he really cares about you if he's trying to protect you. Love is shown in many ways, even when it seems like the opposite sometimes."

Anna stared at her friend. "Wow! Where did you learn that, wise guy?"

"My, um, family taught it to me."

"Your family sounds really wise," Anna pointed out.

Kristoff chuckled softly as he thought of the trolls that had taken him in. Sure, they were nice, but they could be a little pushy and overbearing sometimes. "Yeah," he replied. "Well, I say family, but they're not blood relation. They're basically just really good friends. You see, for most of my life it's just been me and Sven. But then, one day when I was eight, they, you know, kind of took us in."

"Aw, how nice of them!"

Kristoff smiled. "Yeah," was all he said.

"Hey, look! There's the square!" Anna cried after a minute, pointing at what she was talking about.

Kristoff looked ahead and tried to calculate how far away it was. "Well, from the looks of it, if we keep going straight from this clock tower, we should get there in no time."

Anna grinned and jumped up, heading toward the stairs. "Thank goodness! Now let's go! I got those chocolates for my parents as a 'I'm sorry I wandered off' present, now it's going to have to a be a 'please don't kill me!' present," she joked. Both children laughed as they made their way down the stairs.

Finally, after nearly getting trampled to death, the trio arrived at the edge of the town square. Anna noticed some musicians playing nearby and walked over to them. After dropping a few coins in their collector's box, much to the musicians' delight, she started dancing around to the lively music. A few minutes later, several of Arendelle's children had joined in, while their parents watched from the sides. "Come on, Kristoff!" Anna called. "It's fun!"

Kristoff hesitated, but a gentle nudge from Sven encouraged him join in what looked like a lot of fun. He laughed. "Alright, I'm going. Sven, don't you dare touch those chocolates, or no carrots for a month." Sven nodded and sat down on the ground.

0o0o0o0o0o

King Agnarr and Queen Iduna had been looking everywhere for their daughter, after discovering her gone at the glassblower's. After looking several different places, they finally decided to try the village square. When they arrived, they found a large group of children dancing to lively music, and paused to enjoy it. They noticed a reindeer sitting off to the side with some boxes of chocolate, and found it rather odd that such an animal would be in the town.

Agnarr sighed. "Well, I don't see any sign of Anna."

"Maybe she couldn't find her way over here?" Iduna suggested.

"That's possible. We should probably keep looking." It was then that the worried parents spotted a bright red head bouncing up and down in the middle of the children. The mass of kids cleared a bit to revealed Anna dancing beside a boy with blonde hair.

0o0o0o0o0o

The music finally stopped, and Anna and Kristoff walked back to Sven, laughing with joy. "Wow, that was fun!" Anna exclaimed.

Kristoff nodded. "Yeah, I guess I can't argue with that."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Anna turned to find her parents standing in front of her. "Um, hi, Mama, Papa," she greeted nervously.

Breathing a sigh of relief at finding their daughter safe and sound, the king and rushed forward and squeezed Anna in a tight hug. "We were so worried about you!" Agnarr cried. Remembering his earlier conversation with the princess, Kristoff chuckled, earning a glare from Anna.

"Guys? Can't breathe here!" Anna pointed out, struggling to talk through the tight bear hugs.

"Sorry," Agnarr apologized. The king and queen stepped back, noticing the blonde boy.

"Who's this?" Iduna asked.

"Kristoff, Your Majesties," Kristoff answered with a bow. "That reindeer over there is my friend Sven."

"Kristoff helped me find my way back here," Anna offered, trying to put in a good word for her friend.

"Well thank you very much, young man," Agnarr said to Kristoff.

Kristoff waved his hand. "Oh, it was nothing. All in a day's work as an ice harvester. One still in training, that is."

"Where do you live?" Iduna asked.

"Out closer to the North Mountain with my adoptive family. They took me in when Sven and I had no one else."

"Well, that was very kind of them."

"Hey, Mama, Papa?" Anna spoke up. "Can Kristoff visit me at the castle? He's my new friend, and I've pointed out several times how many friends I have. None."

Agnarr and Iduna looked Kristoff over. He seemed like a nice boy, and it couldn't hurt to have him around Anna. They knew Anna didn't have any friends, and it didn't seem like Kristoff had very many, since they had only seen the boy on a few occasions, and he was always selling ice by himself with only Sven for company. Agnarr smiled. "Of course. Kristoff, you are welcome at the castle anytime."

Kristoff's jaw nearly hit the cobblestones. "Th-the c-castle?" he stammered out.

Anna laughed and threw her arms around him. "Yay! I finally have a new friend to play with!"

Kristoff blushed at the sudden, unexpected contact. "Uh, th-thank you, Your Majesties," he replied with another bow. "Anna's really fun to be around, but I have to leave now. My family will be expecting me." He handed Anna her things, keeping his own box of chocolate, and waved goodbye before he and Sven walked off in the direction of the mountains.

"Anna?"

"Yeah?" Anna answered her father sheepishly.

"Expect a talk from me about the importance of listening to instructions."

Anna groaned. "Um, I got you some chocolate, will that help?" she asked hopefully.

Agnarr smiled in amusement, but shook his head. "Afraid not. That was sweet of you, but don't push your limits."

"Okay," Anna mumbled as the small family walked back toward the castle.


	7. Chapter 7

Over the next few years, Anna and Kristoff grew to be very close friends. Kristoff came to the castle as often as he could, much to Anna's delight. Still, Anna was annoyed that her father's protectiveness had increased. She was sure she was old enough to do things herself now, but that just wasn't happening. "It's like I'm still a baby or something," she complained to Kristoff one spring day when she was thirteen. Kristoff only shrugged and gave her a sympathetic look.

Finally, the day of Anna's birthday, June twenty-first, arrived. Agnarr gave his daughter a party, though it wasn't very big. The celebration was held with just Arendelle's royal family, the servants, Kristoff, Anna's aunt and uncle, Queen Arianna and King Frederic, and Rapunzel, who had finally been found three years ago, along with her new husband of only a few weeks, Eugene. Agnarr didn't want to have a ton of people attending an event unless it was absolutely necessary, as he feared large crowds ever since Elsa's kidnapping.

The celebration forced Agnarr and Iduna to start thinking about an important decision they had to make. "Are you sure she's ready?" Iduna asked worriedly one day in the middle of January. She and Agnarr were currently in the king's study.

Agnarr nodded sincerely. "Of course! She's fourteen, I'm sure she's old enough. After all, we won't be around forever, and it is Anna's duty to learn how to be a proper queen." The king and queen had been pondering this idea for several months, ever since Anna's birthday.

Iduna chuckled as she thought of her clumsy, happy-go-lucky daughter. "I don't think calling Anna a proper anything is correct," she pointed out.

"You may be right, but she still needs to learn."

"But what if…" Iduna trailed off and let the unspoken yet clearly known question hang in the air.

Agnarr sighed and buried his face in his hands. "Iduna, it's been nearly fifteen years. I still have a glimmer of hope that she'll be found eventually, but that hope is starting to slowly fade away. Even if Elsa is by some miracle returned to us, we still need to prepare Anna in case that doesn't happen."

"Rapunzel was gone for nearly eighteen years," Iduna whispered, more to herself than anything else, "and you saw her alive and well at Anna's birthday party."

Agnarr nodded. "Yes, I know. In fact, I had almost lost all hope until the letter arrived that our dear niece had been found. I'm not sure how, but somehow, it renewed my spirits. I'm hoping that she'll be found by the eighteenth year, just like Rapunzel. Perhaps even before that. We have to hope and pray that she'll come back."

"You've heard Rapunzel's story, haven't you?" Iduna asked quietly. "That Gothel woman made her believe that she was her mother all those years. I wonder sometimes if Elsa has the same fate. She's probably been taught a lie these past fifteen years."

"Iduna, can we please not talk about that right now? I need Anna to come in here so we can discuss the matter of her preparations to be queen."

Iduna sighed in response. "When are we going to tell her?"

"Not yet. She's not ready."

Iduna crossed her arms and shot her husband a slightly incredulous look. "She's ready to prepare to be queen, but not to know about her own sister?"

"I don't think…I don't think I'm ready."

Iduna reached forward and wrapped her arms around Agnarr in a sympathetic hug. "Elsa will be found. I know she will."

Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and Anna slipped inside the study a moment later. "Kai said you wanted to see me?"

Agnarr nodded and pointed to the chair in front of his desk. "Yes, Anna. Please have a seat."

Anna was slightly worried at the grave looks on her parents' faces. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course," Iduna replied. "You father and I just have something to discuss with you. Nothing too serious, but it is important."

"Okay," Anna responded slowly as she sat down.

"As you know," Agnarr began, "you just turned fourteen several months ago."

"Yeah, I was kind of there."

"Well, your mother and I have decided that it's time to start preparing you to be queen."

Anna was confused. "But I don't have to be queen until you both are gone." She gasped in horror. "You aren't sick and dying are you?"

Iduna and Agnarr both chuckled. "No, Anna, no one's dying," Iduna assured her daughter. "We need to prepare you, though, just in case."

"All royal children start preparing to take the throne at this age," Agnarr added. "Some start even younger."

Anna hung her head. "Are you sure I'm ready?"

"Yes."

"But, I mean, you know how clumsy I am. I don't think I was made to be a ruler. Like I already said, I'm clumsy, I do things without thinking, I guess I might be a little reckless, and I'm not even your typical prim and proper princess. I'm pretty sure I'd destroy Arendelle within the first two days."

"How would you do that?" Agnarr asked with a smile.

Anna stared at her father. "Are you trying to make fun of me?"

"No, Anna. I honestly want to know how you'd destroy the kingdom. Please answer the question."

"Um, okay." Anna leaned back in her chair and thought for a moment. "Like, I'd probably get Arendelle too deep into debt or something, accidentally somehow cause some sort of explosion that would kill everyone, or something else. There are endless possibilities!"

Agnarr laughed. "You only named two scenarios, and they won't happen if you prepare enough."

Anna ducked her head down. "What if I don't want to," she muttered.

"What was that, Sunshine?" Iduna asked.

At that, Anna slightly exploded. "What if I don't want to prepare? What if I don't want to be queen? The only good thing about that, is when I'm in charge, I'll get to do whatever I want without you always freaking out!"

"Anna, calm down," Iduna warned. She glanced at her husband. She knew Agnarr had been a little too protective of Anna, but nothing she said could change his mind. Besides, she understood his reasoning.

"You're saying you don't want to be queen?" Agnarr asked carefully.

"Exactly! Somehow I know that I'm not supposed to."

"Well I'm sorry, Anna, but I'm afraid you don't have a choice."

Anna jumped up from her chair. "I wish I did!"

"Anna."

"I've never had much of a choice, have I?" Anna continued. "I can't hardly do anything without you fussing at me about hurting myself. And this just adds to it! I'm not perfect, and I make mistakes. Being queen will just make that worse!"

"Anna!"

"I've always wished I had a brother or sister so I wouldn't be an only child, but now I really wish I did, and that that sibling was older than me so he or she could take the stupid throne instead of me!" Agnarr and Iduna glanced at each other just as the door slammed shut. Anna poked her head back inside a second later and made a final retort. "Why don't you just make Kristoff king or something? He'd probably be better than me." Then she slammed the door again.

"That went well," Agnarr commented sarcastically through the stunned silence a moment later.

"If you mean not at all, then yes," Iduna responded.

"What are we going to do?"

"I have no idea. After all, she's your daughter."

Agnarr turned around and faced his wife. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, I just happen to recall a certain person by the name of Arianna telling me about her big brother's rebellion about preparing to take the throne from the time he was eight years old."

Agnarr rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure I wasn't that bad."

"Somehow, I don't believe that. You probably don't remember, since you were even younger than Anna when you started."

"Perhaps," was all Agnarr said. The couple lapsed into silence.

"I have a feeling Kristoff might be king someday," Iduna spoke up suddenly with a mischievous smirk.

"What? Iduna!"

"Oh, come now, Agnarr, don't even try telling me you haven't noticed the obvious chemistry between those two the past few years."

"But he's just an ice harvester," Agnarr protested, knowing that was a terrible excuse.

"Oh, and Anna's your typical princess, right?" Iduna shot back sarcastically.

"You do make a rather good point there."

"Have you made any progress with finding that girl yet?" Iduna asked, changing the subject. Ever since their encounter with Elise eight years ago, Agnarr had tried to find out where she lived.

"No, Iduna," Agnarr replied with a sigh. "No one has heard of a girl who fits her description except for three different girls, but they come from fairly nice homes. I told you years ago that there's nothing we can do. We've done all we can. We need to let it go."

"I know, it's just that I feel so bad for that poor girl. The abuse probably has only gotten worse, and I can't imagine what's happening to Elise now."

"Iduna, I share your sympathies, but like I've said a million times, we can't do anything. Right now, we need to focus on the matter at hand, and that is dealing with Anna. I ask you again, what are we going to do with her?"

Iduna crossed her arms and shot Agnarr a look. "Well, for one, you need to give her some time to think about this. She'll cool off eventually. Also, you really need to give her room to be herself. I understand that you want to keep her safe, and I do, too, but there is such a thing as to much protection, you know."

Agnarr stared back in confusion. "Too much protection, what are you talking about?"

Iduna huffed in slight annoyance. "Agnarr, you treat her like she's still a small child when she's fourteen. Fourteen! She's almost a young woman now. She can take care of herself. I'm not particularly comfortable with some of the stunts she pulls, but I'm pretty sure she's old enough to think through her actions. When it counts, at least," Iduna added, knowing Anna acted before she thought most of the time.

"Iduna, she's my little girl, and I want to keep her safe. I failed Elsa, and I won't do the same for Anna."

"No, Agnarr. Don't start blaming yourself again. It wasn't your fault. How were you or any of us to know about that guard being a traitor?" Elsa's kidnapping, as the king and queen soon found out, had been an inside job. One of the guards wanted revenge on the royal family for something that had happened years before, and so when two men approached him, asking if he would help them steal the princess, he agreed without hesitation. The night of the kidnapping, the guard had been found in Elsa's bedroom with his feet frozen to the floor. He had been given a lifelong sentence to the dungeon, and was still currently there.

"I'm sorry," was all Agnarr said.

"Let's get back to the subject at hand," Iduna continued. "You need to let Anna be herself, or it's going to ruin your relationship. You're already driving her away, because I've seen proof of it. She keeps her distance from you, and there's a nervous look in her eyes every time you're around each other. Agnarr, you're going to lose her if you don't do something."

Agnarr sighed. "Alright, I'll try. I'll start by talking to her later, after the news about her preparing to be queen sinks in."


	8. Chapter 8

Meanwhile, Anna had donned some winter clothes and gone out to the stables, where she met up with Kristoff, who was brushing Sven's fur. "What's got you all riled up?" Kristoff asked when he saw Anna's I-want-to-punch-something-right-now-to-make-me-feel-better face.

"Dad, but I don't want to talk about it," she muttered tersely. Kristoff only nodded in understanding and turned back to Sven, knowing that Anna would continue anyway. Sure enough, she did. "I mean, how could he be trying to prepare me to be queen when he doesn't even let me do simple things alone?"

"Queen, huh? Can you tell me what happened?"

"Well, Kristoff, it's like this," Anna began. "I woke up this morning perfectly happy. The birds were singing, and the sun was shining. Then Kai told me that my parents wanted to see me. And now my amazing day is ruined."

Seeing as how Anna was too upset to give further details, Kristoff tried something else. "What are you going to do about it then?"

Anna sighed as she saddled her horse, Kjekk. "I need some time to myself."

Kristoff immediately paused Sven's brushing again, having an idea of where Anna was going. "Anna, you know the king doesn't like you going out there."

Anna huffed and rolled her eyes. "Too bad. I need to be alone to think things through, and I certainly won't get that here. And don't you dare try to talk me out of it, because you aren't going to change my mind."

"There are wolves out there, you know."

"I've never seen any."

"They're still there, and they're dangerous."

"I don't care."

Kristoff sighed in exasperation. "Why is this so upsetting to you anyway?" he asked.

"I'm actually not sure," Anna replied, pausing to think for a moment. "I guess it's just that I don't think I'm meant to be queen. I wish I had an older sibling who could take the role. I'm so confused right now. Like I said, I need to sort out my thoughts. You know I get angry for almost no reason sometimes."

Kristoff nodded. He knew that all too well. "Alright, but are you sure you can't just go think about it in your room or something?"

Anna led Kjekk out of his stall, pulled herself up onto his back, and turned once more to Kristoff. "No, I can't. Papa will just find me there and start bugging me. I need to get away."

"Alright, then can I at least come with you so you're not by yourself?"

Anna shook her head. "No, I need to be alone. I'll be back later, and you know where to find me if you have to." With that, she nudged Kjekk and the two raced off out of the stable, across the courtyard, through the gates, across the bridge, through the town, and into the woods.

Left behind, Kristoff sighed and turned back once more to his work. Ever since Anna had been given charge of her own horse when she was twelve, she often rode outside of Arendelle as a hobby. But there was a certain stretch of woods that was her favorite place to go, and the place her father had warned her not to go beyond. Which she did anyway. Several packs of wolves had been spotted in that area, and even though Anna always argued that she hadn't seen them, Kristoff knew they were there. But that was Anna's private retreat, and no one could keep her away from it.

"You didn't try hard enough," 'Sven' piped up. Kristoff was supplying his voice, of course.

"About what?"

"Changing her mind."

Kristoff snorted, crossed his arms, and shot the reindeer a look. "You know as well as I do that doing that is impossible."

"You could've tried a little harder."

"Why don't you try it sometime, then?" Kristoff shot back, a little annoyed.

"Alright, I will!"

0o0o0o0o0o

Anna and Kjekk continued to run through the forest until they finally reached their destination. "Whoa, boy!" Anna called out, slowing her horse to a walk so she could think. She came to this place every time her brain was conflicted to sort things out. It was such a beautiful spot to be in. Birds chirped merrily as they flitted from tree to tree, the occasional bunny would appear, and sunlight shone through multiple small holes in the green blanket which the many leaves had provided. Today, though that was not entirely the case, as since it was winter, the animals were hibernating deep underneath the soft blanket of snow. Even the sun wasn't shining, as it was covered by large, menacing, gray clouds, and it reflected Anna's mood.

"Why am I so upset?" she asked no one in particular. "I mean, I probably won't be queen for a long, long time yet. I'm just afraid I'll mess everything up when I do. Also, I really don't even want to be the ruler in the first place. I'm happy as a princess, and I want to stay that way! What do you think Kjekk?"

Kjekk only whinnied in response.

"Oh, I wish I could talk to you like Kristoff does with Sven," Anna lamented. "If I could, you could probably help me with-" she was cut off by a wolf's howl. Kjekk glanced around unsteadily, his ears twitching. Anna glanced over her shoulder, and instantly wished she hadn't. A pack of at least twenty wolves, probably more, was slowly approaching. "Great, one more thing to add to my already perfect day," she commented sarcastically as Kjekk noticed the wolves and instantly started to bolt through the forest.

Although Kjekk was running as fast as he could, the wolves still caught up in no time. "Get lost!" Anna commanded the wolves, but of course, they didn't listen. One wolf leaped at the horse and rider, and Anna slapped at it, but the creature ripped her glove off. Anna pulled her hand back and found blood on her fingertips. "Um, that doesn't look good," she commented to no on in particular. She suddenly felt a tug on her cloak, and looked back to find three wolves hanging on to it, their teeth bared. Thinking quickly, Anna unclasped the cloak and the wolves tumbled back, getting tangled up in the fabric and each other. Another wolf jumped at Kjekk from the side, and Anna popped it on the nose with her fist, which caused the wolf to whimper and draw back.

Anna managed to punch two more wolves before she felt herself being thrown. She flew through the air, landed, and then tumbled down a small hill. When she finally came to a stop in the soft snow, Anna glanced up to find the wolves running away from her. She could hear whinnying through the trees, and knew the beasts must be after her horse.

"Great, just great," Anna muttered to herself as she stood up. "Now, first things first, which way do I go?" Finally deciding on just walking in the direction she was facing, she began her trek. But little did she know that she was walking far away from her home. Very far away.

0o0o0o0o0o

Agnarr paused in front of Anna's bedroom door and took a deep breath. "Alright, you can do this," he whispered to himself. "Just go in there and talk to her. Try to make things better." He slowly opened the door and stepped inside. "Anna? I'm sorry about earlier, maybe I should have given you more time or-" he cut himself short when he found that the room was empty. "Anna?" he called. No answer. "She's probably downstairs in the kitchen getting chocolate," he told himself, trying to calm down his frightened nerves.

But Anna wasn't in the kitchen. Or the library, or the parlor, or the dining hall, or the stables, or the garden, or anywhere else Agnarr looked. Finally, in a frantic mind, he sought out Iduna and found her in their bedroom. "Iduna, have you seen Anna anywhere?" he asked as casually as he could.

Iduna glanced up from her book. "No, I haven't. Not since that talk earlier."

Agnarr rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Um, well, I wanted to talk to her, but I can't find her. Can you help me?"

"Of course," Iduna replied as she stood up, left her book on the chair, and followed Agnarr out of the room. "Why don't you check the stables?" she suggested. "Anna spends a lot of her time there."

"I already did, but I guess it can't hurt to look again."

Once again, the stables had no Anna in them. "Why don't you ask Kristoff?" Iduna tried, pointed to where the ice harvester was feeding Sven.

"Kristoff!" Agnarr called as he rushed over.

Kristoff gulped. From the frantic look on the king's face and the slightly worried on the queen's, he had an idea of what they wanted. "Yes, Your Majesty?" he replied, trying to sound casual, even though his face was sweating out of nervousness.

"Have you seen Anna?"

"Y-yes," Kristoff stammered out.

"When?"

"Earlier after that talk you gave her. She told me about it."

"Do you know where she went?" Iduna asked.

"Well, yes, sort of." Sven's carrot was suddenly very intriguing.

"Where?" Iduna pressed, getting nervous at the way Kristoff wouldn't meet their faces.

"Um, well, that might be a bit of a problem, at least for me. You see-" he was interrupted by frantic neighing in the courtyard. The ice harvester and two royals rushed outside to find four or five guards trying to calm down a frantic horse. Anna's horse.

"That's Kjekk!" Iduna pointed out.

Agnarr turned to Kristoff, who gulped again. "Young man, where is my daughter? Tell me! Now!"

Kristoff rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you know that stretch of woods that you don't want Anna going beyond? That's kind of what she did."

"And you just let her go?"

"No, I tried to convince her out of it, but she wouldn't listen. When that didn't work, I offered to go with her so she wouldn't be alone, but she said she had to be by herself. I'm really sorry, Your Majesty. Please forgive me!"

Agnarr sighed. He knew how persistent Anna was. "I agree, you couldn't have don't anything to stop her if she was being that stubborn. But now I need to gather a rescue party."

"I'll help!" Kristoff volunteered. "I kind of feel responsible for what happened."

"Thank you, Kristoff. In fact, I would like to put you in charge of one of the groups. Can you please go gather the men you need?"

"Yes, sir!" Kristoff replied as he saluted and raced off to start his task.

"Meanwhile, I'll lead another search," Agnarr said as he turned to Iduna.

"Agnarr, you can't go out here. What if something happens to you?"

Agnarr sighed. "I have to. This is Elsa all over again. Except this time, Anna was being foolish instead of getting kidnapped."

Iduna walked over to inspect Kjekk, who the guards had finally managed to calm down. She gasped as she noticed something on the horse's flank. "Come look at this!" she called to Agnarr, who quickly complied.

Agnarr was horrified, and his heart beat faster out of fear. "Claw marks," he muttered. "Wolves! Anna was attacked by wolves!"

"Agnarr, please don't go out there. Send someone else!" Iduna begged.

The king shook his head. "No. I have to go. Tell you what. Let me go this time, and I'll send someone else if we have to do a second search, alright?"

Iduna slowly nodded. Just like Anna, when Agnarr made up his mind, there was no changing it. "Okay, but come back safe please." The two quickly kissed each other, and Agnarr hurried off to assemble the search parties.

0o0o0o0o0o

Meanwhile, Anna was still stumbling around, trying to find her way. The winds had started to pick up, and it had begun to snow. Anna was growing colder by the minute, since she had lost her cloak, and one of her mittens, and her fingers were still bleeding. Also, she had discovered that her cap had flown off during the chase, but she couldn't remember when. "Why didn't I just listen to Kristoff?" she asked herself. "He told me about the wolves, and I was too stupid to listen. Dad told me not to come out here for a reason, and now I know why."

Twenty minutes later, Anna found herself in the middle of a blizzard that had picked up from seemingly nowhere. If she hadn't been so concentrated on her thoughts the whole time, she would have noticed the grey clouds that had continued to pile up. "Figures," Anna muttered through the howling wind. "I get stuck out here during the coldest month of the year without my cloak, hat, or glove, and there just happens to be a blizzard. My luck is horrible today. First the queen announcement, then the wolves, and now this. Worst. Day. Ever." Anna shivered and glanced around. She couldn't see a thing throw the blinding snow, and now she was freezing. Thankfully, her fingers had stopped bleeding, but the exhilaration of the chase combined with the loss of blood and all this walking was making Anna feel weak, tired, and a little dizzy.

"I have to keep going," Anna told herself. "I'll get home eventually, and stopping will only make things worse. If I stop, and take a rest, I might get hypothermia or something. Then again, I wonder if I have it already. I might accidently fall asleep and never wake up again because I've frozen to death. I wish I had some sort of fire powers or something so I could keep warm. Wait, what? That stuff's only in fairytales. Man, I wish it was real right now."

After another fifteen minutes, Anna dropped to the ground out of exhaustion. She tried to get up, but her knees buckled, and her ankle exploded with pain, landing her in the freezing cold snow again. She sighed and lied her head back, closing her eyes. "Is this the end?" she asked herself. "I really wish I had listened when both Dad and Kristoff told me not to come here. I've disobeyed, and even if I do survive, I'm not sure I could face Dad. Maybe later after he's cooled off, but not right away." Anna laughed. "Ha! I'm the one who's technically cooling off right now. How ironic. I wonder if they're sending out search parties for me. Hopefully Kjekk got away and alerted everyone. I really hope the wolves didn't eat him." Anna had raised her horse from a colt, and she was very fond of him. She relaxed again as her life seemed to flash before her eyes.

She opened her eyes then and shielded them with one hand, try to see something, anything through the blinding snow. "I'm sorry I didn't listen to you, Dad," she said to no one. "You, too, Kristoff. I'm sorry I couldn't be a better daughter and friend." Then everything went black.

Five minutes later, a figure came into view. A large, bulky object loomed a few feet away. The figure knelt down next to Anna and checked her breathing and pulse. "She's still alive!" the figure told the object in wonder. "Come on, we need to get her home, and fast. She's freezing, and she looks like she's been attacked by wolves or something, judging by those claw marks on her dress. We need to bandage her up. Hurry! And why does she look so familiar?" the figure added quietly.


	9. Chapter 9

Iduna was very worried when the blizzard had started, and waited anxiously for the men to return, hopefully with Anna. Later that evening, after dark, she was outside in the courtyard when she saw several figures approaching the gates throw the howling snow. A minute later, her hopes sunk when she saw no sign of Anna. She rushed up to Agnarr and Kristoff the second she spotted them. "Did you find her?" she asked, although she already knew the answer.

Agnarr shook his head. "No, and no tracks either. The snow covered those up, along with her scent, so the dogs weren't helpful. But we did find this." He sorrowfully held out Anna's cape, with was shredded at the bottom.

"My team found these," Kristoff added as he showed the parents their daughter's glove and hat.

Iduna gave a cry of fear when she saw the objects. "Do you think she's…" she trailed off, unable to continue.

Kristoff shrugged. "It's possible, although I hope not. Hopefully these just got pulled off while she was being chased."

"Then why did she not come back with Kjekk?" Iduna challenged.

"Iduna, maybe that crazy horse threw her," Agnarr suggested. "Look, we need to be prepared in case the unimaginable comes true, but until then, we need to have hope that she's still alive. Right now, we all need to get some rest."

"But what about the search parties?" Iduna asked.

Agnarr shook his head sadly. "They're exhausted. I'd try to send fresh men out tonight, but the dark along with the blizzard will make it impossible. More search parties will look tomorrow, but until the blizzard stops, there's not much we can do."

Iduna hung her head, then threw her arms around Agnarr and cried on his shoulder. "I can't believe this is happening again," she muttered.

"I know," Agnarr whispered. "Don't worry, we'll find her." Agnarr shot Kristoff a worried glance over Iduna's head. Both men didn't entirely believe those words, but they had hope that this time, they'd find their lost princess.

0o0o0o0o0o

Anna slowly came back to consciousness, wincing at the ringing in her ears, which thankfully faded away quickly. "Am I dead?" she asked herself. She cringed as something touched her ankle. "Wait, no that can't be the case, since my ankle hurts. Come to think of it, everything hurts right now."

A voice from somewhere beside Anna laughed softly. "No, you're not dead. But you could have been. And sorry about your ankle. I was trying to wrap it 'cause I'm pretty sure you sprained it badly. As for the rest of you, those wolves scratched you up pretty bad."

Anna opened her eyes, and found that her vison was all blurry. "Mom?" she asked in confusion as she stared up at the face hovering over hers. Then her eyesight cleared and she saw the white-blonde hair. "Oh, sorry, I thought you were my mom for a second. Where am I?"

The young girl was confused at her visitor comparing her to her mother, but she laughed again. "That's alright. And you're in my home. Well, part of it anyway."

Glancing around at her surroundings, Anna found herself in what appeared to be a small cave. She was currently lying on a cot of some sort with a blanket draped over her, and a small stove sat against the opposite wall. These were the only articles of furniture in the cave. Anna straight in front of her to find the cave entrance, which was blocked by a sparkly wall of something, but Anna didn't know what. Then her gaze turned back to her savior. When it did, Anna stared in shock at the young girl in front of her. "E-Elsa?" she stammered out as she remembered her friend from all those years ago.

The girl, who was indeed Elsa, stumbled backward in surprise. "Y-you know my name?" she asked.

"Well I haven't exactly seen anyone else who looks like you," Anna replied. Then, seeing her old friend was confused, she tried something else. "Remember to curtsy, Elsa, not bow," Anna said with a mischievous smirk. "Only boys bow, and the girls have to curtsy. And you don't have to do that for me, 'cause I'm not like all those other snobby princes and princesses."

Elsa gasped. She remembered those words. "Anna?" she asked in surprise. When Anna nodded, she grinned. "I thought you looked familiar!"

Anna giggled. "Well, it has been, like, almost eight years, so I guess I look a little different, and so do you. How old are you now? I'll be fifteen in June."

"I just turned eighteen last month," Elsa replied.

Anna glanced around. "Is this your home?"

"It is now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know how I told you that my parents beat me?"

Anna nodded. "Yeah, and?"

"Well, when I got three new siblings, and my parents weren't mean to them, I realized that they were mistreating me. But my uncle was guarding the house so I couldn't run away. But then, the summer I was fourteen, he died after being sick for three weeks with pneumonia."

"I'm sorry, that must have been hard," Anna piped up.

Elsa shrugged. "He was meaner to me than my parents were, so I don't really miss him. But his death gave me a chance to escape, which I ended up doing. I've been up here ever since."

"You've been up here for nearly four years by yourself?"

"Well, not entirely." Elsa fiddled with her hands nervously. "I, um, have some other friends, but you can't see them!" she added quickly.

"Okay," Anna replied slowly, a bit confused. "But why didn't you come to Arendelle? I told you where it was."

"I'm not very comfortable around people, because my parents told me my whole life that the outside world was dangerous and horrible, and that people would try to use me."

"Oh," was all Anna said.

"So, um, how did you get stranded in that blizzard?" Elsa asked, trying to change the subject.

Anna reached up and started fiddling with one of her braids. "Well, it's kind of a long story. You see, wait, what time is it?"

"Sometime after dark," Elsa replied. "I don't have a clock in here, since this is mostly just my kitchen. Speaking of which, are you hungry?"

Anna shook her head. "Not really. Anyway, so this morning, one of the servants told me that my parents wanted to see me. Apparently, my father wants me to start preparing to be queen. I'm not exactly sure why that made me upset, but it did. The main reason is that I like being a princess, and I want to stay that way. Also, I'm clumsy and don't think before I act. I wish I had an older, more responsible sibling that could take the job. I was so upset that I rode my horse out to the forest so I could think. By the way, that was a section of forest that my father specifically told me not to go to. You can guess what happened next. I got chased by wolves, and lost my hat, glove, and cloak in the process. Then the blizzard started up and I collapsed on the ground and apparently blacked out. And my ankle hurt a lot when I fell, so that must be when I twisted it. And you know the rest. Oh, and did you say this was only part of your house?"

Elsa nodded. "Sounds like you had quite the adventure. And yes, there's more beyond that blue wall. But please don't go there. I-I'm not ready for you to see it yet."

"Alright," Anna replied, confused again at how Elsa seemed to be hiding something.

"Anyway," Elsa said, getting up and walking to the opening in the blue wall, "it's really late. I need to get some sleep, and so do you. It was so nice to meet you again, though. Those few days we played together were a happy time in my otherwise horrible life then."

Anna smiled. "Yeah that was amazing. I hadn't really had any friends before that." Anna frowned as she thought of something. "You know, Elsa, I'm going to have to leave. My parents are probably worried sick about me."

"Oh," Elsa said, sounding disappointed.

Anna felt terrible for making her friend sad. "But I don't really want to go," she added quickly. "Maybe I can use my ankle as an excuse?"

Elsa's face brightened. "That blizzard will probably last another day or two."

Anna grinned. "Yup! And maybe I can managed to stay a little longer than that. My parents won't die or anything if I don't come home right away. Goodnight, Elsa, I'll see you in the morning!"

Elsa smiled at her friend. "Goodnight, Anna," she whispered, before disappearing behind the blue wall.


	10. Chapter 10

When Anna woke up the next morning, she was confused at finding herself in a strange place before remembering what had happened. Her stomach rumbled loudly, and she giggled. "Maybe I should have eaten something last night after all." She sat up and stretched, enjoying the warmth of the fire from across the room. "Where is this place?" she asked herself. "Guess I'll have to ask Elsa later, since she only told me this was her home." Anna slowly placed her feet on the floor and stood up, wincing at the pain in her ankle. "Okay, so that definitely did not heal overnight." She turned around and examined the bed she had been lying on. It was only a large pile off soft moss and leaves on the floor, covered by a blanket. "That was surprisingly comfortable," Anna muttered. Noticing a small table with a bowl of berries that Elsa must have left, Anna sat back down and quickly ate them.

Just then, she heard a noise from the entrance of the cave. Several white somethings scurried past the blue wall. The wall wasn't clear, so Anna couldn't tell what the things were, and they soon disappeared. She hesitated, wondering why Elsa had asked her to stay out. Was she hiding something? Curiosity finally got the best of Anna. She went over to the blue wall, and found that it was actually two walls. The first wall had a doorway that opened into a long hallway that stretched out of side on both sides. Anna walked into the hallway and turned right, coming to an opening in the second wall only a few feet away. When she stepped through the door and walked forward, she gasped in wonder.

She had entered what appeared to be the main entrance of Elsa's home. At the other end of the large room, double doors stood. On either side of Anna, stairs extended up over her head. Everything was blue and seemed to sparkle and shine. Still in shock at what she saw, Anna approached a large fountain in the center of the room. It looked like a fountain, but it didn't act like one. Instead of cascading gracefully into the basin, the water seemed frozen in place. Anna stuck her hand out and found that the latter was actually true. The basin even felt like ice. Anna knelt down on the ground and touched the floor, finding the same, freezing feeling. "This place is amazing! Is it all made of ice?" she asked aloud to no one in particular.

"Yup!" came a cheerful voice. "Everything except the cave." Anna whipped around and stared, speechless. Standing right in front of her was a live snowman. "Isn't it pretty?" Anna finally unfroze, screamed, and kicked off the snowman's head. "Woah!" it cried as it hit the stairway railing and bounced back into Anna's arms. Anna quickly dropped the head like a hot potato. "I think we've kind of gotten off to a bad start," the head exclaimed as the snowman's body searcher for it. "Can you please put my head back on, then we can introduce ourselves better?"

Anna sighed and tried to get over her shock. This snowman seemed nice, and helping him couldn't hurt. She picked up the head and carefully put it back on top of the snowman's body. "There you go," she said.

"Thanks! Now I'm perfect!" the snowman exclaimed.

Anna grinned. "Well, almost." She reached into her pocket and was glad to find one of the carrots she usually kept for Sven. She then put the carrot on the snowman's face, but he turned his head toward her at just that moment, making Anna send the orange vegetable almost all the way through the snowman's head. "Whups! Too hard, I'm sorry! Are you okay?" she stammered.

The snowman gasped. "Are you kidding me? I am wonderful! I've always wanted a nose! It's so cute, it's like a little baby unicorn. What? Hey! Woah!"

While the snowman had been inspecting his new nose, Anna had reached behind his head and pushed the carrot into its proper place. "How's that?"

The snowman giggled happily. "Great! Now I love it even more! Alright, I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

Anna gasped. That was the name her parents had come up with for her snowmen, and the phrase she always said. Come to think of it, Elsa had said she named her snowmen Olaf, too. Now Anna was extremely confused as to who had made this snowman, but she decided to wait on that question. "Nice to meet you, Olaf," Anna greeted. "I'm Anna."

"Hey, you're the girl Elsa and Marshmallow brought home yesterday!"

"Marshmallow?"

"Yup! He's my little brother, although he's the biggest little brother I've ever had."

"Um, okay," Anna replied slowly. "Um, do you have any more brothers by any chance?"

Olaf grinned in response. "Yeah, in fact, here comes three of them now." Anna turned around to find three tiny snowmen scurrying towards her. The creatures had no arms or noses, but Anna thought they were some of the most adorable things she had ever seen. Now Anna realized that this was what she had seen from the cave. "This is Sludge, Slide, and Flurry," Olaf introduced. "There are a lot more of them somewhere in the palace. If we look hard enough we could probably find them." Then Olaf started off on a long list of places the snowmen might be hiding.

Ana shook her head and held up her hands. "Wait, what? Did you say this was a palace?"

"Uh-huh. You should see it from the outside."

"Is it pretty?"

"Yup! By the way, Elsa kept asking herself why you looked so familiar yesterday before you woke up. Do you know the answer?"

Anna smiled. "Yeah, we cleared that up last night when I recognized her almost immediately. You see, we met a long time ago before she ran away from her home. She was and is a great friend to have. Especially then when I didn't really have any friends."

"Elsa told us about the girl she met in the woods a long time ago," Olaf replied. "It's really nice to finally meet her, and that Elsa gets her childhood friend back for a few days."

"By the way, where is Elsa? Or Marshmallow and the rest of your little brothers?"

Olaf scratched his head with his twig arms. "Uh, well, Marshmallow's out patrolling, Elsa's somewhere around here, and so are my other little brothers."

"So, um, when were you built?" Anna asked after a short period of silence.

"Almost three years ago. Then Marshmallow, followed by the snowgies."

"Snowgies?"

"Sludge, Slide, Flurry, and the others. That's what Elsa calls them."

"Olaf, who in the world built you? Who built Sludge, Slide, and Flurry, whoever Marshmallow is, and this ice palace?"

"Oh that's easy! E-"

Olaf was interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat. Anna looked up and gasped. Elsa was standing at the balcony railing at the top of the stairs, but she looked entirely different. Instead of a bun like last night, her hair was styled in a braid which hung over her left shoulder. What Anna noticed was that Elsa's hair seemed to sparkle for some reason. The dark blue, old dress the girl had been wearing was replaced by a long, light blue, sparkly one, with a long, shimmering cape. Anna gasped again at the way her friend was appearing to shine in the sunlight. It also seemed that the palace was bigger than Anna thought, as two staircases, one on either side, extended up into unseen areas behind Elsa. "Anna, what are you doing in here?" Elsa asked calmly. "I thought I asked you to stay in the cave." She sounded slightly hurt.

Anna gulped. "Um, I'm really sorry. I caught a glimpse of what I'm sure now are the snowgies, and sometimes I'm too curious for my own good." The young princess hung her head. "I'll go back to the cave now, and I understand if you don't want me here anymore."

Elsa shook her head and gave the younger girl a small smile. "No, it's alright. I-I just really can't have you out here yet. Please, go back into the cave for now."

Anna smiled and nodded. "Okay. I promise I won't come out here again unless you say." With that, she quickly hurried back to where she had slept the night before.

At the top of the stairs, Elsa sighed, turned around and started toward the stairs. When she had reached her bedroom, she sat down on her bed, folded her hands, and rested her chin on them. "She's my friend, why can't I tell her?" Elsa asked herself. "Dad might have been wrong to abuse me like that, but was he wrong about people wanting to use me for my powers?"

"I don't know," a voice said from the doorway. Elsa turned to find Olaf entering her room. "Anna seems too nice for that."

Elsa flopped back on her bed and covered her face with her hands. "Olaf, I know she does. But you never know what someone's hiding."

Olaf frowned, an expression he didn't use very much, nor did he like feeling sad. "Elsa, are you alright?"

"I'm not sure," Elsa replied with a shrug. "Though I think the answer's more 'no' than 'yes'. The thing is, I want to tell Anna about my powers."

"Then do it," Olaf suggested cheerily.

Elsa shook her head. "But I can't. Olaf, I've been taught my whole life to fear other people. Anna's an exception, but I'm afraid of what she'll say if I show her what I can do."

Olaf smiled thoughtfully as he walked over and hopped onto his creator's bed. "Why don't you ask Marshmallow when he gets back? I'm sure he can help you. We'll all be there to help you, Elsa, no matter what you decide."

Elsa smiled and accepted the hug Olaf gave her. "Thank you, Olaf. I'll do that. I don't know where I'd be without you."

0o0o0o0o

In the cave, Anna was lecturing herself for going against her friend's wishes. "How could I have been so stupid?" she asked herself. "What kind of a friend does that make me? A terrible one, that's what. 'Don't go behind the clear, sparkly blue wall,' she says. 'I'm not ready for you to see it yet,' she says. And what do I do? I immediately go out there the minute I get curious!" The princess sat down on the edge of her bed and put her head in her hands. "I'm such an idiot."

"I forgive you, if it helps," a voice said.

Anna jerked her head up to see Elsa standing nervously in the doorway, still decked out in her long, sparkly dress. "Oh, Elsa, I'm so sorry!" Anna exclaimed, jumping up and rushing over to hug her friend, who proceeded to stand as still as a statue. Elsa was not used to hugs. "I don't know what came over me, and I'm sorry I went against your wishes. I'll understand if you kick me out and decide not to be my friend anymore."

Elsa's heart melted and she smiled, returning Anna's hug. "It's alright. Like I said, I forgive you."

"You do?" Anna sniffed, drawing back a little to look into her friend's eyes.

"Of course. I should have explained to you why I didn't want you out there," Elsa responded. "Scrap that, I should have told you when we first met and you asked if I knew of a way to get some snow. The issue is, I'm scared to tell you because of what my adoptive father taught me all my life. But you're my friend, and friends shouldn't keep unnecessary secrets from each other."

"I'm your friend?" Anna asked.

"You always have been, and you always will be," Elsa replied with a smile.

Anna grinned and wiped her eyes. "So, what did you want to tell me?"

Elsa's expression stiffened again. "Come out into the palace and…I-I'll show you." She turned and walked out of the cave, and Anna followed. The two ended up back in the large entry, and Elsa motioned for the two of them to sit on the edge of the frozen fountain. "I'm assuming that you want to know who made all this, right?" Elsa asked, motioning around at the palace.

"Yeah," Anna replied with a nod. "I asked Olaf, but he didn't get a chance to answer before you came out of nowhere."

"Well, you see…" Elsa trailed off and took a deep breath. "I made it." She held out her hand and let a snowflake form above it. "I built this place. I built Olaf, the snowgies, and Marshmallow."

Anna's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. "Wow! You have magic! Awesome!" Then her grin dropped and she frowned. "Wait, why would your parents make you hide that?"

Elsa shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just know that my dad told me my whole life that people would take advantage of me if they knew what I could do."

"Oh," was all Anna could say.

"I'm sorry I hid this from you," Elsa apologized.

Anna laughed and waved her hand. "It's alright. I might have done the same thing if I were you. At least, I think I would."

"Would you like to do one of my favorite activities with me?" Elsa asked with a smile, changing the subject.

"Sure!" Anna replied enthusiastically. "What is it?"

"Stand up, and I'll show you."

Anna stood up and waited expectantly to see what her friend was going to do. The princess gasped when she was suddenly lifted a couple of inches into the air. She glanced down to find literal ice skated on the bottom of her boots. "Oh, wow, Elsa! These are beautiful! Only, there's one problem, and that would be the fact I really can't ska-"

She was interrupted by Elsa grabbing her arms and pulling her around the floor of the ice palace. "Come on, you can do it!" she encouraged.

"Uh, Okay," Anna replied nervously. "Wait! I think I got it." She slipped and started to lose her balance. "Oh, no, I don't got it, I don't got it!"

Just then, out of nowhere, Olaf appeared and shoved the princess upright. "Hi, guys!" he cried to the two friends as several of the snowgies who had followed the snowman began to slide around the ice. "Glide and pivot. Glide and pivot," Olaf repeated, gliding over the sparkling floor.

"That's it, Olaf!" Elsa praised. She turned to Anna. "Come on, just relax. I won't let you fall." Anna nodded, still nervous, and tried her best to stay upright on her own.

After several minutes, the Arendellian princes finally was able to skate on her own with falling, though she still wasn't as graceful as Elsa, obviously. "I'm doing it!" she exclaimed.

"I can see that. Good job!" Elsa replied. Both girls laughed with glee as they slid across the floor.


	11. Chapter 11

The two girls spent the rest of the morning together playing with Elsa's magic and interacting with Olaf and the snowgies. A while later, in the late afternoon, the two friends were sitting quietly on the edge of the frozen fountain, watching Olaf and the snowgies play together, when Anna realized something. "Hey, Elsa?" she asked.

"Hm?"

"Remember earlier before you showed me your magic, when you said you were scared to do it because of what your father taught you?"

"Yeah, why?" Elsa asked, staring the the younger girl with a puzzled frown.

"Well, you called him your 'adoptive father'."

"Yeah, so?"

"You were adopted?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes, I was."

"And you also said that your parents and uncle beat you."

"That's correct."

"So, if you knew they weren't your real parents, then why didn't you run away, like, a super long time ago?"

"I'm not sure, now that you mention it," Elsa responded, staring thoughtfully into the distance. "I guess it was because my parents scared me so badly with lies about the outside world that I didn't even dare to try leaving."

"The 'outside world'?" Anna echoed with a raised eyebrow.

"Outside the rock wall," Elsa clarified. "Our home was surrounded by tall cliffs. Here, let me show you." Elsa quickly conjured up a model of her adoptive family's cabin, the cliffs, the waterfall and stream, and the hole in the rock wall.

Anna's eyes widened. "You lived in there your whole life? Without leaving?"

Elsa nodded. "Yes. Before I met you, I had never been outside that wall, except for when I was too little to remember."

"So _that's_ why you had no idea of where we were!" Anna exclaimed. "That's terrible!"

"I was used to it," Elsa replied with a shrug.

The two drifted into silence again, though it was broken a moment later by Anna's voice as she thought of something else. "You know, you should come back to Arendelle with me. My parents have been looking for you ever since that time in the forest."

Elsa's eyes widened in alarm. "What? Why? What'd I do? Am I in trouble for interacting with the princess?" She scooted a few inches away, suddenly wary of the younger girl's presence.

Anna laughed and shook her head. "No, Elsa, none of that. They're just worried about you. Won't you come back with me so they can help you?"

"I don't know," Elsa replied cautiously. "I'm a bit nervous about meeting other people. My parents said they were all bad. I know that's not true after meeting you and your parents, but still…."

"Like you just said, you've met them," Anna argued, "and they're perfectly fine. If you don't want to interact with the entire village, then that's fine, too. We'll just stay in the castle." Anna sighed and hung her head. "The thing is, when I get back home, my parents are going to ask where I've been. I don't want to lie to them, but I don't know what to say. If I tell them about you, they'll probably get it out of me somehow that you live up here by yourself in the mountains in an ice palace with a bunch of snowmen for company. I'm terrible at keeping secrets. My parents want to help so bad, that I'm sure they'll be up here looking for you as soon as possible if I tell them. Again, I don't want to lie, because lying's wrong, but I just…don't know what to do about this whole situation."

"I don't know either."

"I just-I guess I just want some company," Anna admitted. Elsa raised an eyebrow, prompting her to continue. "My father's busy a lot, and besides, he's too paranoid to have fun. My mother is just as busy, and I can't go outside and make any friends because of my father's fear. The truth is, I have a best friend, and I'm very thankful for him, but it's not the same. He's always so careful since he knows who my father is. Plus he's gone a lot because of his job. I know I haven't known you for very long, but I just feel this connection deep down for some reason. Even though we've barely spent two weeks together our entire lives, I look up to you like a sister. Kristoff, well, he's amazing, but it's not the same as having a sister to talk to. Or just a girl in the first place. Every girl I've met, other than my mother or the servants, is snooty and stuck up, and the servants are too wary of me, since I'm a princess. Frankly, the only friends I've ever had are my parents, a sweet boy who talks to reindeer, my dolls, and paintings. That's it."

Elsa's heart went out to her friend. "I'm sorry, Anna." The two sat in silence again for a while before Elsa finally spoke. "Listen, I'm not sure I trust your parents entirely yet, since I've seen them only once, but I liked what I saw. I could tell that they were kind, caring people, and I believe that even more now that you've told me about their search for me. I'll tell you what. Contrary to what I thought, the blizzard outside's stopped now. Tomorrow your ankle should be well enough to walk on. In the morning we'll set out to Arendelle, and I'll come with you. I'll only go as far as the city limits though. Then I'll come back here, and if you give me some time to prepare, I'll come to stay for a while. The catch is that I'd like to avoid other people as much as possible."

Anna's eyes brightened. "Really?" Then her demeanor dropped and she sighed. "No, you don't have to. I'm sorry that I mentioned it. I'm pretty sure I just came across as whiny now that I think about it, and I'm sorry. Just forget it. I don't want to put you in a situation where you're uncomfortable. Hey, when can I see the outside of this palace?" she asked, trying to change the subject. "I've heard from Olaf that it's beautiful."

Elsa only raised her eyebrows at the change in conversation. "Yes, it's really pretty, or at least, I think it is. Anna, don't change the subject. I'm serious. I've wanted to come see you since I first came here four years ago, but I haven't yet worked up the courage since I'm wary of strangers and I don't entirely know where I'm going. In fact, I've been longing to go to Arendelle since I first met you. I really do want to come. Just tell me when, but please at least give me a day or two to prepare myself."

Anna's face lit up again and she grinned. "Really?" She received a sincere nod in response. "Oh, Elsa, thank you, _thank you_!" Anna cried, nearly knocking the older girl over as she embraced her.

Elsa chuckled and hugged the princess back. "Anything for you, Anna."

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Of course," Elsa responded with another firm nod. "I owe it to you, after all. You were the first friend I ever had. And the only one, if you don't count Olaf, Marshmallow, and the snowgies since they're, you know, not exactly human. But don't tell them that," she added quietly, receiving a giggle from Anna. "But seriously, tell me when you want me to come to Arendelle. Also, when do you plan on going back? As much as I'd love to have you stay here forever, I don't want to cause your parents any heartbreak. You need to get home as soon as possible."

Anna sat thoughtfully for a second before answering. "I think I'll do what you suggested and leave tomorrow morning. You can come with me so you know where you're going, and then you can come back here. As for you coming to visit…my mother's birthday party is in two weeks. There won't be many people there; my parents are a bit paranoid. It'll just be my family, the servants, my aunt, my uncle, my cousin, and her husband. In fact, that cousin's the one I told you about several years ago, remember? I said she was stolen as a baby by a mean old lady. Anyway, they finally found her three years ago. She's a lot of fun; I think you'd like her."

Elsa nodded. "Alright, that sounds like fun. Um, what if you came back to get me in three days? I'd like it if you could bring me some brown hair dye though, since my hair color is not exactly normal."

"Sounds good to me," Anna replied. "Your hair is beautiful, by the way, and nothing's wrong with it, but yes, I'll buy some hair dye."

"So we have a plan?"

"Yup!"

"Alright then," Elsa responded, standing up. "Now, I'd like to show you something. I believe you said you wanted to see the outside of my palace?"

Anna grinned and jumped up, although she winced slightly at the pain in her ankle. "Sure!" She followed Elsa to the large double doors. When they opened, Anna gasped in amazement at the beauty of the surrounding mountain. As she trailed her best friend down the stairs, Anna ran her hand down the icy railing. At the bottom, the girls turned to face the palace, and Anna's jaw nearly hit the snow. The ice palace was so beautiful and breathtaking that Anna was sure she would never be able to describe it in words. "Wow!" was all she could say, rendered speechless otherwise.

Elsa grinned in response. "Thanks. I'm rather proud of it myself."

Anna giggled quietly. "My friend Kristoff is an ice harvester, and he really, really loves ice. In fact, I'm sure he'd be crying right now if he saw this."

Elsa laughed in response. "Do you really think this palace would have that effect on him?"

"I'm sure of it." Before Anna could say anything else, the ground began vibrating, and she heard what sounded like giant footsteps. Slowly she turned around, and then nearly screamed at what she saw. A large snow golem stood in front of the girls, towering over them.

"Oh, hi, Marshmallow," Elsa greeted nonchalantly.

Finally Anna found her voice. "_That's_ Marshmallow? He's ginormous!"

The eighteen-year-old laughed. "Of course! After all, he's my guard, so I need him to be big. As for the name, well, that was Olaf's doing."

"Hello, Elsa," Marshmallow rumbled, sending chills down Anna's spine. "Who is this?" the giant asked, pointing to Anna.

"This is Anna," Elsa explained. "Remember? This is the girl we found in the blizzard. She's also the same girl that I was friends with when I was younger."

"Oh, that's nice," Marshmallow replied. "Thank you for being good friend to Elsa, Anna."

"Uh, you're welcome," Anna replied nervously.

Then Marshmallow turned his attention back to Elsa. "I finished patrol," he announced. "No bad people. No wolves."

"Thank you, Marshmallow," Elsa replied. "Why don't you go see what Olaf and the snowgies are doing?" Marshmallow nodded and lumbered away toward the ice palace.

"Okay then," Anna said slowly after a moment, watching as the snow giant disappeared behind the ice doors. "That was Marshmallow then."

Elsa laughed at her friend's reaction. "Yes it was. I created him around a week after I created Olaf, because I needed a protector. I mean no offense to Olaf, but I don't think he'd really excel at that job."

Anna giggled in response. "No, I don't think so either, based on what I've seen from him. He's adorable, but a bit naïve."

Elsa shook her head slightly and chuckled. "Exactly."

"Well, that explains the rumors," Anna spoke up a second later.

"What rumors?"

"Oh, for the past three years Kristoff's been hearing rumors about a 'giant monster that roams the north'." Anna paused and grinned at her friend. "We both passed it off as a horror story told at campfires, but now I know it's halfway true."

Elsa shrugged sheepishly. "Sorry about that. I guess I'll have to speak to Marshmallow about how far south he goes."

"Yeah, we wouldn't want an entire group of people to run down to Arendelle screaming their lungs out about monsters," Anna joked, causing her friend to laugh again. "Hey, thanks for showing me this, Elsa. It's really amazing. Your powers are beautiful."

Elsa grinned in reply. "Thank you." She looked up at the sky, noticing the sun was beginning to set. "It's getting late. Why don't we go inside and have some supper? I caught a rabbit yesterday that I haven't used yet. We can cook that up, and Marshmallow usually brings back a basket of berries from his patrols. We also have to get up early tomorrow so we can get to Arendelle in time for me to get back by nightfall."

Anna nodded. "Alright, sounds good to me." With that, the two friends walked up the stairs and into the palace. After supper, they chatted for awhile about each other's likes and dislikes before deciding it was past time to go to bed. Both girls fell asleep that night, one happy that she was going to see her parents, but nervous to see them at the same time, while the other was a bit excited to go see Arendelle, but nervous about what new dangers it'd bring. Both wondered what the next day would hold.


	12. Chapter 12

Early the next morning, true to her word, Elsa traveled down the mountain with Anna. The older girl woke up the princess at the crack of dawn, and after grabbing a small bag of food to hold them over on the trip, left the ice palace. The two friends chatted about different things, mostly about Anna's many mishaps over the years. They also marveled at the beautiful, winter scenery all around them.

Anna was still limping on her sore ankle, so Elsa created an ice sled to carry the both of them. The sled moved fast on the smooth, slippery snow, so the girls ended up reaching Arendelle around two hours after midday.

"Well, here we are," Anna said as the sled slid to a halt arounds a mile from the edge of the forest.

"I guess I'll see you in three days," Elsa responded a bit sadly as she helped the younger girl out of the sled.

"Yeah," was all Anna said.

Elsa glanced at the princess' ankle, which was still a bit swollen. "Can you make it back to the castle on that ankle?"

Anna nodded. "I think so. I'll probably run into a search party that will help me." The fourteen-year-old then gave Elsa a worried look. "Are you sure you don't want to come to the castle with me? You most definitely won't get back to your palace until long after dark, and you're by yourself. There's wolves in these woods, you know."

Elsa responded with a dismissive wave of her hand. "No, I'm alright. I've dealt with wolves before, and it's not like I'm unarmed." She grinned and created a snowflake to prove her point, letting it hover over her hand for a moment before dissolving it. "The sled with be lighter now that there's only one person in it, so I can go faster. Also, Marshmallow will be waiting for me, and might even meet me halfway, so I'll be fine. If I don't make it back before midnight, I'll probably just set up camp somewhere. I can protect myself."

Anna gasped when she heard the sound of barking dogs and shouting men in the distance, which were getting closer every second. "You'd better go now if you don't want to be seen," she told Elsa. "I think that might be a search party."

Elsa nodded and smiled at Anna. "I guess this is goodbye then. See you in three days, Anna." Then, raising her hands, she propelled herself and the ice sled back toward the mountain.

"Goodbye, Elsa," Anna whispered in reply, not wanting to the group searching for her to hear, since they sounded very close now. The young princess turned and began her hike toward Arendelle castle.

Anna had barely been walking for five minutes, however, when she was suddenly grabbed from the side and nearly crushed in a tight bear hug. "Anna! Oh man, you have no idea how glad I am to see you!"

Anna glanced up and found herself looking into Kristoff's worried yet joyful face. "Kristoff!" she exclaimed, hugging him back just as tightly. "It's great to see you, too." Remembering themselves after a moment, they both quickly stepped back, both teenagers blushing redder than a tomato.

"I mean, uh," Kristoff stammered, clearing his throat and waving to the group of men and dogs coming out of the trees. "I found the princess!"

Anna was then nearly squeezed to death again as Agnarr ran out from among the group and embraced her. "Anna, you had you mother and me so worried!" He pulled back and checked her over, looking for any injuries. "Are you hurt?"

The young princess grinned sheepishly and ducked her head a little. "I twisted my ankle, but I'm fine otherwise. The part of me that got hurt the most was my pride."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." Agnarr's face then darkened into an upset but worried expression. "What on _earth_ were you thinking, running off like that? I've told you countless times not to go to that section of the woods! And where have you been the last three days? If you were fine, then why didn't you come home?"

"Dad, it's a long story," Anna replied. "Can please just go home first? Then I'll tell you what happened to me."

Agnarr turned to the search group. "We've found Princess Anna! Now we can all finally go home and rest." The group cheered and bowed to Anna one by one. Then the men, Agnarr, Kristoff, and Anna began their walk home.

0o0o0o0o

The group finally made it back to the castle around half an hour later. After being nearly crushed in another bear hug from Iduna, Anna was treated to a late lunch and a warm, relaxing bath.

After Anna was done with her bath, she and her parents settled comfortably in the library with freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies and hot cocoa, curtesy of Olina. The family played a couple rounds of charades and discussed the preparations for Iduna's upcoming birthday.

"Anna, dear," Iduna spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence that the trio had settled into, "just _where_ have you been these past couple days?"

Anna sighed and fingered her mug of cocoa nervously. She knew the questions would come at some point, and she also knew that she couldn't avoid them. "Well, Mom and Dad," she began, setting her hot cocoa down on a nearby table, "do you remember that girl I met several years ago, the one named Elise?"

Iduna's heart leapt with joy at what Anna was implying, and the king and queen glanced at each other with surprised and happy expressions. "You found her?" Iduna asked.

Anna shrugged and laughed. "More like she found me." She explained how she had run into the pack of wolves, and how she had ended up alone after Kjekk threw her. She recounted how she had blacked out in the blizzard and twisted her ankle, and how her old friend had found her in the snow. "I woke up in her cave a few hours later."

Agnarr raised an eyebrow. "She lives in a cave? What happened to her parents? You make it sound as if she lives alone."

"The cave _is_ part of her home, so technically she does live in a cave, but there's more to it," Anna explained, avoiding the subject of Elsa's companions. She debated quickly on telling her parents about the ice palace, but decided against it. Elsa probably wouldn't want her secrets spilled. "As for her parents, they had three more children, and when Elise saw the nice way that they treated them, she realized she was the one being mistreated. Then, when her mean uncle died when she was fourteen, she ran away from her adoptive parents."

"Hold on, so Elise was adopted?" Agnarr asked. Anna nodded in response.

"So if those weren't her real parents, then maybe we could find her real ones," Iduna suggested. She turned to Anna. "I'm so glad you find her, Anna. Your father and I have been worrying over her situation for years."

"I have, too," Anna replied.

"Then she should come to Arendelle," Agnarr suggested. "If she does, we can start working on finding her real parents. You should go back and get her."

Anna hesitated for a moment before answering. "Elise is a bit…shy. She's not entirely comfortable around a lot of people. However, she did say that I could go back and get her in three days, and she can come stay at the castle. She saw how kind you were all those years ago, and I think she trusts you a little."

"That's wonderful!" Iduna exclaimed. "Now we may finally have the chance to help to poor girl." Anna grinned happily and nodded.

Then Agnarr's face darkened. "However, there is still the matter of your punishment for your disobedience," he said sternly to Anna.

Anna hung her head. "I know, and I'm sorry." She looked up at her father with a serious expression. "Dad, what I did was wrong. I shouldn't have gone into that area of the woods. I truly am sorry for my disobedience, and all I ask is that you can forgive me for what I did," she said, sounding much older than her fourteen years, and completely unlike her usual cheery self.

Agnarr's face softened and he rested a hand on his daughter's shoulder, since she was sitting between the king and queen. "I forgive you, Sunshine, but please don't do it again."

Anna nodded and the three sat in silence for a bit. The princess bit her lip as she contemplated telling her father what she was thinking. Finally, she spoke. "Dad, can I just ask you for one thing?" When he nodded, she plowed ahead with her words. "Can you please not be so protective of me all the time? I mean, I know you're my dad and you love me and want me to be safe, but I'm not a little girl any more. I'm fourteen-and-a-half, and I really don't need you looking out for me every second. I can take care of myself."

Agnarr looked sad and a bit hurt. "You really don't need me?" he asked, his voice calm even though his eyes were beginning to shine with tears.

Anna gasped, realizing what she said. "Oh, no, Dad, I didn't mean it that way. I _do_ need you. I love you, and I'm glad you want to keep me from getting hurt, but all I'm asking is that you back off a tiny bit. Please."

Iduna sat forward and gave her husband a meaningful look. "I agree with her, dear." Agnarr was silent, not responding.

Anna sighed and said, "Okay, Dad, I think I understand if you can't give me some more space-honestly, I'd do the same thing if my daughter disobeyed me and risked her life-but will you at least tell me _why_ you're so overprotective?" The king and queen both stiffened at the question. Agnarr looked away and Iduna glanced down at her hands. Anna stared at her parents, confused by their reactions. Wasn't that a simple enough question to answer? Anna had thought so, but now it seemed like there was more going on. "Did something happen?" Anna finally asked.

Agnarr heaved a sigh and continued staring at the bookshelves in the corner of the room. Iduna leaned forward again and reached around Anna, resting a tender hand on her husband's shoulder. "Agnarr, we both knew this day and these questions would come at some point. She deserves to know the truth."

"What truth?" Anna asked, still confused. "What happened?" The king and queen didn't immediately answer. "Mom, Dad?"

Agnarr turned to look at Iduna and the two carried on a short, silent conversation over Anna's head, tears filling both of their eyes. At last, they both turned their gazes to their daughter. "Anna," Iduna began, since her husband didn't seem able to talk, "we never told you, but you have an older sister."

Anna's eyes brightened, but still showed a hint of confusion. "I do? Where is she?"

Iduna sent a pointed look toward Agnarr, encouraging him to speak. He groaned and said, "Yes, you do. She was sadly kidnapped from us when she was three years old, a few months before you were born. This is why I've been so desperate to protect you, so I could try to not fail you like I failed her." His voice shook on the last few words and broke as soon as he finished. He buried his head in his hands, trying to stifle his sobs.

Anna sat still, not sure what to do, as she rarely ever saw her father cry. Slowly, she reached out and wrapped her arms around him as understanding came over her. "Oh, Dad, I'm so sorry! No wonder you never want to let me out of your sight! Please forgive me for being so selfish, when you've been in so much pain."

Agnarr snuffed, wiped his eyes, and shook his head. "Not, I've been the selfish one. I thought that by keeping you close and protected, you wouldn't suffer the same fate as your sister, but I know now that it's wrong to keep you isolated. You're growing into a beautiful young lady, and I need to let you have your freedom, even if it hurts." Anna said nothing, a lump growing in her throat. Iduna reached over and hugged the two of them, and the small family cried together for a few minutes.

Finally, the three broke apart and Anna cleared her throat. "So, what was my sister like? What was her name? What did she look like?"

Iduna smiled, a far-off look in her eyes. "She was one of the sweetest girls ever. She was usually quiet, though she had a bit of a mischievous streak. As for her appearance, she had the prettiest white-blonde hair, which isn't exactly a normal hair color, but she was special. She had an adorable smile and blue eyes that could melt even the hardest of hearts. Her name was Elsa." Iduna refrained from mentioning Elsa's magic, as that was a long conversation station for another time.

Anna's eyes nearly bugged out of her head for the second time that week. "Elsa?" she repeated, her mouth wide. Her sister and her best friend had the same name? "H-how old would she have been now?" Anna stammered, her face a shade paler as a million thoughts raced through her head a mile a minute."

"She would have turned eighteen last month," Agnarr replied, staring oddly at his daughter's expression, "why?"

"N-no reason," Anna stuttered in response, her face turning even paler end her eyes widening. She took a deep breath and calmed herself. "I was just curious," she finally said.

"Would you like to see a painting of her?" Iduna asked. "We have one stashed away in a storage room somewhere."

Anna nodded, smiling. "Yes, please!" she exclaimed excitedly. Agnarr and Iduna stood, and Anna followed them as they led the way out of the library and down the hallway. Anna's brain was still racing, however, and she hardly paid attention to the path in front of her. How coincidental that her long-lost sister shared the same name as her friend, as well as the same age, had similar hair and eye colors, and had a birthday in the same month. Could Elsa possibly be Anna's older sister, the lost princess of Arendelle? Anna shook her head. No, that was impossible and completely far fetched…wasn't it?

"Here it is," Agnarr said. Anna was so concentrated on her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the fact that she and her family were now in the back of a dark, dusty storage room. Agnarr held out the lantern he had been carrying, and the light fell on a large painting. The portrait depicted a much young Agnarr and Iduna, along with a small girl. Iduna sat on a chair, the bump in her middle clearly evident, and stand beside her was the toddler, her arms resting on her mother's leg. Agnarr stood proud and tall directly behind the both of them.

"That's Elsa," Iduna said, motioning to the toddler, who was even more adorable than she had previously depicted. "This was painted a month before she was taken."

Anna stepped closer to the painting, knelt down, and traced the girl's face with her fingers. She could see the resemblance to the Elsa she knew. Even though there was a fifteen year difference, Anna had been around Elsa when she was younger, and this three-year-old looked almost identical to nine-year-old Elsa, with a slight age difference. On top of that, Anna had noticed while at the ice palace that Elsa's face bared a striking resemblance to her mother's. Anna debated telling her parents what she was thinking for a moment, but no, she would investigate more first to see if her suspicions were true.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN/ Okay, so to clear up some confusion, Elsa is currently 18 in this part of the story, and Anna is 14. Yes, I know they are three years apart, but their birthdays are in opposite times of the year, therefore they are three-and-a-half years apart. In this part of the story, Elsa has just had her 18th birthday a month ago, whereas Annas 15th birthday is in the summer, so it hasn't happened yet since it's currently the middle of January. Hope that helps.**

The next morning, Anna was still thinking out the similarities between Elsa and her sister. Something deep down told her that her suspicion was true, but her head prodded her to find more evidence. If it was true, Anna was beyond delighted that she had an older sister, and that it was possibly Elsa of all people. After all, she had felt a slight connection to the older girl when they met.

"I'll be leaving around noon," Agnarr said, jarring Anna from her thoughts. The small family was seated around the breakfast table.

"Wait, what?" Anna asked.

Agnarr sighed and shook his head, an amused smile on his face. "Didn't you hear any of what I said?"

"No," Anna sheepishly replied, "my thoughts were elsewhere. Sorry."

"As I was saying," Agnarr began, "there is a diplomatic meeting being held in Corona soon. Our ambassador is bedridden with a broken leg, so I must go instead. I'll leave at noon today and hopefully be back shortly before your mother's birthday."

"Oh, okay," Anna replied. She was about to ask if she could go as well to see her cousins, but then remembered that she was supposed to bring Elsa to Arendelle in two days.

Iduna raised an eyebrow. "That's it, Anna?" she asked. "Usually you'd be begging to go with him."

Anna nodded. "Yeah, I would like to go see Rapunzel, but I have to be here to get Elise in a couple of days, remember?"

"You don't have to be here for that," Agnarr said. "I can sent some guards to fetch her. All you have to do is tell me where she lives."

"No, that'd freak her out," Anna replied quickly. "I think I'm the only one she'd trust."

"Alright, that's fine," Agnarr responded.

"Where exactly does Elise live?" Iduna asked. "You didn't exactly tell us much."

Anna took that moment to stuff a bite of eggs into her mouth. "North Mountain," she said shortly in between chewing, half hoping that her parents wouldn't here.

"Isn't that where Kristoff's from?" Agnarr asked, his eyebrows raised. "Maybe he knows her."

Anna shook her head, knowing that dodging these questions wasn't going to get her anywhere. "No, he lives close to the base of the mountain. Elise, on the other hand, well…what if I told you she lives close to the peak?"

Agnarr's and Iduna's jaws nearly hit the table. "The peak? What?" Agnarr exclaimed.

"It's freezing up there!" Iduna added. "I don't think anyone or anything can survive that high up. After all, the tree line ends almost halfway up the mountain."

"Well she did find a cave," Anna responded quickly, "so I think she's warm enough. Also, she doesn't really mind the cold. You could say she's resistant to it." Agnarr's and Iduna's eyebrows shot up and they glanced at each other, but said nothing. "Anyway," Anna said, desperate to change the subject, "I'm finished with my breakfast. Can I be excused?"

Iduna nodded. "Yes, of course, Sunshine." Anna pushed back her plate, shoved her chair back, and stood.

Agnarr got to his feet as well. "I need to pack my things. Please give the cooks my thanks for the delicious breakfast, dear." He leaned over and kissed Iduna's forehead, then strode out of the room, Anna following behind him.

0o0o0o0o

Later, after her father's ship had departed for Corona, Anna went to the marketplace Kristoff. She bought a few normal things like boxed of chocolate, but it was the small bottle of brown hair dye that raised Kristoff's eyebrows.

"What's that for?" the ice harvester asked.

"Sorry, I can't tell you," Anna replied, trying her best to look playful and mischievous so he would think that this was possibly part of one of her usual pranks. Kristoff only shrugged and smiled at her. He didn't even make a comment when Anna bought a dress a few minutes later that she assumed and hoped would fit Elsa.

The rest of that day and the next, Anna continued to ponder her suspicions. One thing that was strange to her was that her parents hadn't made any mention of her sister having had magic. If Elsa was indeed Anna's older sister, then why wouldn't her parents tell her about that detail? It did seem important, at least to Anna. Maybe they just didn't know about the older girl's special abilities, or maybe they didn't think Anna was ready to know the information. Or maybe the Elsa that Anna knew wasn't her sister at all, but instead, her real sister was a girl who just happened to have the same name and description, yet lacked the magic. It was just so confusing. Anna wanted to ask her parents about the magic, but her father was gone, and the princess had a feeling that her mother wouldn't want to discuss the subject without him. Also, Anna just couldn't figure out how to ask.

On the third day after Anna had come back to Arendelle, true to her word, she set out toward the North Mountain again. Iduna has insisted that Kristoff and his reindeer Sven accompany Anna to keep her out of danger. Anna had rolled her eyes and scoffed at that, but she complied. Besides, she was glad for his company.

Early that morning, Anna packed a basket with carrots for Sven, sandwiches and other snacks for her and Kristoff. She also made another for Elsa which contained the bottle of hair dye, the new dress, and some other goodies. Then the two friends and the reindeer set off on their long journey to the North Mountain.

Along the way, Anna filled Kristoff in on her old friend and how they had met. She even decided to tell him about the conversation she had had with her parents and her suspicions about Elsa's true identity. One thing she didn't tell him about, however, was the older girl's special abilities. After all, he would find out soon enough when he saw the ice palace.

"It is possible," Kristoff commented when Anna finished talking. "I mean, I've seen stranger things."

"You have?" Anna asked absently, staring at the blanket of snow that the sleigh was speeding on.

Kristoff nodded. "Of course. I live with a clan of magical trolls, remember?"

Anna raised an eyebrow. "Really? I've always thought you were joking about that."

The young ice harvester shook his head. "Nope, it's the truth. I'll have to take you to meet them some other time."

"Sounds good to me, I guess," Anna replied with a shrug. "After all, after what I saw a few days ago-which you'll most definitely see, too, in a little while-I find that easier to believe than I used to."

Kristoff's sleigh and Sven were fast, but not as speedy as Elsa's ice sleigh, so the two humans and one reindeer didn't reach the North Mountain until close to sunset. When they arrived, Kristoff's jaw nearly hit the floor of his sleigh as he took in the sight of the massive ice palace. "Is that made of…?"

"Ice?" Anna finished, smirking. "Yes, it is. The entire thing."

"It's so beautiful!" Kristoff exclaimed reverently as he got out of the sleigh and helped Anna down, hardly taking his eyes off the ice for more than a second. "I think I might cry."

Anna laughed as she grabbed the basket of supplies for Elsa. "Sure, go ahead. I won't judge you. But you might want to hold off on doing that until you see inside. Then you won't have to cry twice and can do it all at once instead." Kristoff didn't answer, and instead proceeded to stare in awe at the palace. "Come on, Mr. Mountain Man," Anna said playfully after a moment, tugging on the older boy's arm, "let's go inside." Kristoff nodded, not really paying attention, so the princess had to drag him toward the stairs.

"Flawless!" Kristoff half-whispered, half-exclaimed as he ran a hand along the ice railing. Then he numbly followed Anna up the staircase. Sven wanted to come, but the ice was too slippery for him, so he stayed behind to watch the sleigh.

When Anna reached the top, she took a deep breath and then rapped loudly on the large, icy door. "Elsa!" she called. "It's me, Anna!"

"Anna!" Elsa's excited voice called from the large balcony above Anna and Kristoff. "I'll be right down." Anna and Kristoff heard running footsteps fading inside the palace, and then, a minute later, the door opened to reveal Elsa's smiling face. Immediately upon seeing Anna, Elsa embraced the fourteen-year-old princess tightly. "It's so nice to see you again, Anna!"

Anna grinned back. "It's great to see you, too, Elsa." She hugged her friend just as tightly. Then she drew back and looked the older girl in the eyes. "Alright, Elsa, don't freak out, but I brought a friend with me."

Elsa stiffened and frowned, finally taking notice of Kristoff, who was standing behind Anna. "Um, hi," the ice harvester said awkwardly.

"Who's he, Anna?" Elsa asked stiffly as she took a step back, her eyes frightened and apprehensive. After all, this young man's stature reminded her of Uncle Ben, and she couldn't forget him so easily, even though she hadn't seen him in years.

"Calm down, Elsa, it's alright," Anna soothed. "This is Kristoff, the friend I told you about, remember? My mother wanted him to come with me so I wouldn't be traveling up the North Mountain alone."

"You told her about me?" Kristoff asked questioningly, raising an eyebrow.

Anna blushed, causing Elsa to giggle. "Well, yeah, of course I did!" Anna protested, trying to ignore her beet-red, warm cheeks. "After all, both of you are the only friends I've ever had, so it'd make sense that I'd tell you about each other. And now you get to meet one another, so…say hello…I guess."

Elsa laughed and turned to Kristoff. "Any friend of Anna's is a friend of mine. Hello, Kristoff, I'm Elsa. It's nice to meet you." She stuck out her hand in greeting.

Kristoff slowly took Elsa's offered hand and shook it, still staring in awe at the palace. He was already greatly amazed, and then this girl who appeared to be his age had stepped out wearing a long, shimmering blue dress that he was sure looked like it was made of ice, and it combined with the palace shocked him beyond words. This girl in front of him was stunning, although her beauty couldn't even compare to that of Anna's. Kristoff found himself blushing at the thought. After all, he and Anna were just friends, and nothing more…weren't they? "Uh, I love your ice palace!" The seventeen-year-old finally blurted. "I've lived around ice most of my life, and this place just takes the cake. It's amazing!"

Elsa tilted her head, confused at his outburst, but please all the same. "Thank you," she replied, "I'm rather proud of it myself."

"Alright then!" Anna interjected. "You both have been introduced to each other now, so…great, I guess. Can we come inside, Elsa?"

The older girl nodded and smiled before stepping back and opening the door wide. "Of course."

Anna immediately stepped through the doorway, but Kristoff remained outside. "Um, Kristoff, are you coming?" Anna asked.

The young ice harvester was dumbfounded. "You mean I actually get to _step_ inside this masterpiece?"

Elsa and Anna glanced at each other and laughed. "Yes, that is what I said, isn't it?" Elsa responded. "Unless of course, you'd rather stand outside on my doorstep all night long with your mouth hanging open like a fish." Kristoff immediately clamped his mouth shut and nodded sheepishly before stepping inside, causing the girls to start laughing again.

Less than a minute later, Olaf came bounding into the large front room. "Yay, a new friend!" he cried right before he picked up his head and threw it to Kristoff, a grin on his face. Kristoff reflexively caught the head, and then proceeded to stare at it. "Hi!" Olaf exclaimed. "I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs!"

"You're creepy," Kristoff told him bluntly. No sooner had he finished speaking, however, when a group of at least fifteen snowgies piled up beside him, then threw themselves onto the young man in greeting, nearly knocking him over.

"Well, Kristoff," Anna spoke up as she and Elsa laughed together once more, "looks like you've met Olaf and the snowgies. Wait till you see Marshmallow."

"Who?" Kristoff asked as he gingerly placed Olaf's head back on the snowman's body. "Wait, never mind, don't answer that. I'm not entirely sure I want to know, and I somehow get the feeling that I'll be meeting him anyway."

Elsa nodded. "Yes, you probably will. He should be back from patrol in an hour or two."

"He's a snowman, too," Anna added in, "just so you know. He's also very friendly, at least to non-strangers, and he's a bit…large.

Kristoff sighed and chuckled as he shook his head in disbelief. "I thought I'd seen it all. But walking and talking snowmen? Now I don't think anything can surprise me."

Elsa tilted her head to the side, a tad confused at Kristoff's reaction. "I actually thought you'd be a bit more surprised, Kristoff. After all, Anna here kicked off Olaf's head when she met him, or so he tells me."

"Yeah, sorry about that, Olaf," Anna apologized sheepishly.

Olaf shrugged and waved a hand dismissively. "It's okay, Anna. No hard feelings here."

"Well, let's just say, I've seen some pretty strange things in my life," Kristoff said in response to Elsa.

"Stranger than a girl with ice powers?" Olaf asked innocently.

"What?" Kristoff asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Olaf!" Elsa exclaimed, turning to him with her hands on her hips.

"Oh, was I not supposed to tell the nice man about your magic?" Olaf asked. "He's seen the palace already, and me and the snowgies. Also, he's your new friend, isn't he? Doesn't that mean we should tell him?"

Elsa sighed and fought the urge to roll her eyes. Olaf was a wonderful friend, and he had matured a bit over the years, but he was still a bit naïve sometimes. Kristoff, meanwhile, was chuckling to himself. "A girl with ice powers. Ha! Who knew? Somehow, I'm not that surprised. After all, all that ice had to come from somewhere, and, no offense, but you don't exactly take me as someone who'd be harvesting ice. I'm just wondering why I didn't come to this conclusion earlier. I though my family had prepared me for anything."

"Oh?" Elsa asked, tilting her head to the side once again as Olaf and the snowgies wandered away to go play in another area of the palace. "And who is your family?"

"Um," Kristoff replied nervously, "they like to remain a secret, but I will say that they are a bit skilled with magic, which is why most of this stuff doesn't shock me too much. I've grown up around things that seem otherwise strange and impossible."

"Hey, Elsa," Anna spoke up, changing the subject, "I brought you the hair dye you asked for." She reached into the basket hanging on her arm and drew out the small bottle, which Kristoff raised an eyebrow at.

Elsa smiled. "Thank you, Anna." She then pocketed then item.

"Oh, and I brought you some other things I thought you might like," Anna went on. "For instance, I bought you a brand new dress that I hope fits, because you look to be around the same size as my mother, and I got one that would fit her. I also brought you a couple of sandwiches, some carrots, and several pieces of fruit. I figured you might want something different than what you could usually get up here."

"Oh, thank you!" Elsa replied gratefully. "Meat and the occasional berries from the woods get pretty old after having them every day for three years."

Anna smiled. "I thought so. Oh! I also brought a special treat, that I just happen to love, and I thought you might as well." She reverently pulled a small bundle of cloth out of the basket and unwrapped it, revealing a chunk of creamy, mouth-watering milk chocolate.

Elsa's jaw dropped and her face lit up. "Is that what I think it is?" she asked, hardly believe it to be true.

Kristoff laughed in response. "If you're thinking chocolate, then you're correct," he said. "You're also glad that Anna didn't eat it on the way up here."

Anna rolled her eyes at the older boy before handing the chocolate to Elsa. "Here. It's all yours."

"Really?" Elsa asked, carefully taking it.

"Of course! That's who I brought it for, after all."

Elsa slowly took a bite and closed her eyes as she savored the sweet, milky taste. She hummed in pleasure and looked at Anna. "Thank you _so_ much, Anna, you have _no idea_ what this means to me. I haven't had chocolate since I was ten, and I was sure I'd never see it again!"

Anna smiled and placed her basket on the ground before hugging Elsa. "You're welcome. After all, I couldn't let a possible fellow chocolate lover go without it, now could I?" Behind them, Kristoff laughed and rolled his eyes, a smile on his face.

"Oh!" Elsa exclaimed suddenly as she remembered what time it was. "It's late. Are you both planning on spending the night here, or are we supposed to be leaving right now?"

Anna shook her head and gave her friend a sheepish smile. "I kind of hoped you'd let us sleep here."

Elsa nodded. "Of course. Just give me a few minutes and I'll have two fully-furnished bedrooms for you."

Anna tilted her head in confusion, a trait which she and Elsa apparently shared. "What about your cave?"

"Well, you can sleep in it if you want to," Elsa replied, "since it might be a bit warmer, but I figured Kristoff would rather sleep somewhere ice-related, since he seems quite taken with it." She sent a pointed, teasing look at the ice harvester, and Anna giggled.

Kristoff blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, no, y-you don't have to do that do me," he stammered out.

"Nonsense, of course I do! If I hadn't been so apprehensive about Anna learning about my abilities last time she was here, I probably would have already had a room ready for her. Anyway, follow me, and we'll have you two settled in nicely."

"Um, my best friend Sven is waiting outside for me," Kristoff said. "Can we bring him in?"

"He's a reindeer, and he's watching Kristoff's sleigh," Anna explained quickly when she saw Elsa's confused expression. "Also, he couldn't make it up the stairs."

Elsa nodded. "Certainly. I'll find a way to bring him in here as soon as I finish your bedrooms, which should only take a few minutes or less, since I already have the rooms made. They just don't have any furniture in them. Come on now." Kristoff and Anna nodded and followed Elsa up the stairs.


	14. Chapter 14

Early the next morning, the trio departed for Arendelle. Anna was pleased to find that the dress she had picked out for Elsa had fit the older girl nicely. The dress was several different shades of blue and had a few purple stripes, and even came with a nice jacket. Elsa had colored her hair the night before, so that problem was taken care of, and she had had to talk to Olaf for a whole ten minutes to convince him to stay behind. Kristoff had met Marshmallow before they left the palace, and he was quite shocked, to say the least, at the snowman's size. The fact that Marshmallow nearly crushed him in a tight hug did nothing to help his wariness.

Anna was still wondering about the connection between Elsa and her sister. Anna had been shocked that morning when she saw Elsa with brown hair, as the girl looked exactly like her mother. It seemed like more and more evidence kept appearing that pointed to Elsa being related to her. The wheels in Anna's brain had been turning ever since her parents had told her the news about her long lost sister. Anna was just trying to figure out how to approach her parents about the subject of whether or not her sister had magic without revealing too much about Elsa. After all, she didn't want to get their hopes up if it was nothing, and if it was indeed something, then…well, she didn't really know what to do either way.

"Anna, are you alright?" Elsa asked, drawing Anna out of her thoughts. Kristoff and Elsa had been talking for some time, but Anna had tuned them out for a while as she brainstormed ideas and clues.

Anna glanced up, smiled at her friend and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Why?"

Elsa stared at her, and eyebrow raised in concern. "You just seem quieter than normal. Are you sure you're okay?"

Anna nodded again and forced a laugh. "Yes, Elsa, I'm okay. I was just thinking. You know, the thing we all do at times?" Elsa rolled her eyes and smiled in response.

"So, Elsa," Kristoff spoke up, "tell me a bit about yourself. What's your favorite color? What about your favorite food? Favorite animal? Favorite hobbies? Last name? How about your best friend's name?"

"Well," Elsa began, "my favorite color is blue, but I don't think I could pick a favorite food. After all, my entire life I've just been happy to get a meal, much less notice how it tastes enough to pick a favorite. I haven't really been around that many animals, but my least favorite is definitely wolves." She chuckled a little at that. "I love reading books, but when you read the same ones over and over for three-and-a-half years, it gets kind of old. I also like drawing and other forms of art, and I love creating things with my magic. But I think one of my favorite things to do, next to reading of course, is geometry."

Kristoff's mouth dropped open. "Geometry?" he repeated. "As in math? You mean you actually like doing math for _fun_?"

Elsa blinked in confusion. "Yes, isn't that what I said?"

Kristoff turned to Anna. "Did you know about this?"

Anna shook her head. "No, but she was still pretty young when I first met her. I think she might have mentioned liking geometry a few days ago, but I was too enraptured by the ice castle to hear her fully."

"Doesn't everyone love math?" Elsa asked innocently.

"Not really," Anna explained. "Sure, there are lots of people that do, but most people, me included, avoid math like the plague." She scrunched up her face in disgust at the word "math" for emphasis.

"Strange; math is fun," Elsa replied tersely. "Anyway, Kristoff, as for your other questions, my last name is Haneard, which is probably not my real one, but it's my adoptive parents' last name. And my best friend's name, well, I think Anna can answer that." She turned and smiled at the princess.

Anna grinned back. "Aw! Thanks, Elsa! You're the best!" she exclaimed happily hugging her best friend.

0o0o0o0o

The group reached the outskirts of Arendelle several hours later, but since Elsa was still wary about being around a lot of people, they hung out in the forest until after the sun had set and everyone in the village had settled in for the night. Then Anna led her friends to the castle.

As the group walked through the quiet village, Anna noticed Elsa staring intently at everything, a bit of confusion evident on her face. "Are you okay, Elsa?" the princess asked in concern.

Elsa nodded, not even looking at Anna. "Yes, but I just have the strangest feeling that…well, that I've been here before."

"Have you?" Kristoff asked.

"No," Elsa replied, shaking her head. "At least, I didn't think so. I just…it's like I have this memory about…well, this place. I can see a cart in front of me with a smiling man behind it, though I must be really short or something because I have to crane my neck back to see him. He's…smiling and handing me something…a piece of candy. And there's people everywhere. They're staring at me and smiling." She shook her head, as if trying to clear it. Kristoff and Anna glanced at each other. All this evidence pointing toward the truth, but Anna was afraid to believe it and get her hopes up. She hoped that she would get a chance to talk to her mother about everything.

When the group arrived inside the castle walls, Kristoff got Sven situated comfortably in the stables, while Gerda, one of the servants, approached Anna with a relieved yet worried expression.

"Your Highness!" Gerda exclaimed, embracing Anna tightly. "Thank goodness you're home! Your mother fell and sprained her ankle badly and has been confined to her bed as of this afternoon."

Anna gasped. "Oh no! Well, I guess I'll go see her now then." Gerda nodded and walked out of the stables. The princess started toward the door, then stopped. "Kristoff, can you keep an eye on Elsa for me while I go see my mother?"

Kristoff nodded. "Of course."

"Just remember what we talked about and call her Elise."

"Don't worry, I will," Kristoff replied, glancing at Elsa, who was petting Sven.

Anna smiled and headed toward the castle. When she reached her parents' room, she knocked quietly, receiving a quiet 'come in' from inside. The princess eased open the door and stepped into the room to find her mother sitting up in bed, reading a book, her left ankle propped up on a pillow.

When Iduna caught sight of her daughter, she glanced up and smiled as she laid down her book. "Anna, there you are! I'm glad you made it back safely. Did you bring Elise? How are she and Kristoff doing?"

Anna shut the door and walked over to her mother's side before taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "They're great, and yes I brought Elise, but I think the better question is how are _you_? I mean, you sprained your ankle for goodness sake! It's usually _me_ that does that."

Iduna chuckled and smiled tenderly at Anna. "I'm fine, Sunshine. It's much better than the last time I sprained my ankle."

Anna raised an eyebrow. "You've sprained your ankle before? Wow, totally did not expect you to say that."

"Yes, of course I've sprained it before," Iduna replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Thankfully, the doctor here is much better than the one in the For-my old home," she corrected quickly.

Anna gave her mother a strange look at the stumble, but decided to just brush it off. "So, how'd it happen?"

"I was taking a walk in the woods and tripped over a root," Iduna responded sheepishly. "I wasn't looking where I was going because I was lot in my thoughts. After all, it reminded of the nature walks your father and I used to take with your sister before you were born." She glanced down at the bed sadly.

"Um, yeah, I've been thinking about Elsa a lot as well," Anna replied quickly. Could this be her chance? "Uh, Mom, can you tell me a little more about her?"

Iduna nodded. "Well, I remember how much she loved nature. When we went on walks together, she would point out every flower and animal she saw, just like you used to do. Oh! And she loved chocolate and ice cream as much as you do."

"And?" Anna prodded, hoping the subject of magic might come up.

"Well, her favorite color was blue, but she also loved white and purple. As for her personality, she was normally very quiet and reserved, with a hidden mischievous streak that seemed to only come out at the worst times." Iduna giggled at the memories.

Anna was beginning to get a little annoyed that nothing was coming up about the subject she wanted, so she decided to try it herself. "Did she like snowmen like I do?"

Iduna nodded, grinning. "Yes! Oh my, she loved all things snow-related! In fact, she had-" Iduna paused, considering telling Anna about Elsa's magic, but then decided she had better wait until her husband had returned so that they could tell her together. "Uh, she had amazing skill in snowball fights, for a girl her age, at least. She loved snowmen so much, and she always named them Olaf."

"Olaf?" Anna echoed, both eyebrows raised. She remember Elsa telling her about Olaf when the girls were children, not to mention the real, live snowman who resided at the ice palace. Everything Iduna had described sounded just like Elsa, though it was missing the magic detail. Anna had almost no doubt about it now; Elsa was her sister. Now she just had to break the news to Elsa, and find the perfect opportunity to tell her parents. Somehow. "Mom, do you think Elsa might still be alive?" Anna asked hopefully.

"Anna, I really do hope that she is," Iduna replied sadly, "but we haven't seen any sign of her, and we've searched for fifteen years."

Anna nodded, her face just as sad. Just then, she remembered something. "Elise!" she exclaimed, quickly standing. "Oh Mom, I left her with Kristoff when I came to see you, but you know as well as I do that Kristoff still has trouble navigating around the castle. Um, I'd better go check on them. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Alright, Sunshine," Iduna responded with a smile. "I'll be fine here." Anna smiled and rushed out the door. When she had left, Iduna sighed, picked up her book again, and resumed reading.

Anna ran through the hallways of the castle, searching for Elsa. The princess then skidded to a hold when she found her target standing in front of a white door with blue markings. The same door that Anna had been told time and time again not to open. And yet, here was Elsa, opening the door with a dazed and confused look on her face. "Elsa, wait, don't!" Anna cried, but it was too late. The door was open and Elsa was stepping inside. Unable to resist, Anna curiously followed, and immediately gasped.

Inside was a bedroom. The walls were blue and white with a few purple designs, and there was a black, purple, and blue canopy bed sitting against one wall. The room was spotless, even though Anna was certain it hadn't been touched in years. The bedroom clearly belonged to a child, as there was a doll house in one corner, a toy chest in another, and a white rocking horse beside the chest.

"My room," Elsa whispered in a barely audible voice, staring in shock at everything.

Anna's head snapped toward Elsa. "What did you say?"

Elsa shook her head, trying to clear her head. "I just-Kristoff finished with Sven, and then said he was going to take me to the kitchen to get a drink, but then this overwhelming sense came over me, like I've been here before, and next thing I know, I'm standing in front of this room. It looks so familiar."

"That's interesting," Anna replied. "Elsa, you don't look so good. Come sit on the bed." Elsa nodded and complied. As soon as she had sat down though, she grabbed her head and groaned. "Elsa?" Anna asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"The men," Elsa whispered. "They-they grabbed me. I tried to fight, but they gave me water and it made me go to sleep. Then I-I woke up, and-" She paused, her face full of confusion. "They threatened me; told me never to speak about my parents and that the wolves would get me…" The poor girl trailed off, clutching her head tightly in her hands. Now she was sobbing. "Papa threatened me with a crossbow if I didn't listen, and Uncle Ben seemed happy about it. They said I was ordinary; that I wasn't a princess anymore. I was so scared. I was…sad because I would never get to be a big sister like my Mama and Papa had told me, and I would never see my parents again." Exhausted, she collapsed against Anna, who hugged her tightly and soothingly rocked her back and forth.

"It's alright, Elsa, it's alright," Anna repeated over and over comfortingly. She was absolutely, positively sure sure this time that her long-lost sister had returned.

"Elsa, Anna, there you are! I was looking all over for-" The girls glanced up to find a sheepish Kristoff in the doorway, looking uncomfortable at witnessing the scene before him.

Anna smiled reassuringly at her friend. "Kristoff, it's okay, but can you please give us a minute?" Kristoff nodded, a relieved look on his face, and hurried away. "Feeling better now, Elsa?" Anna asked after a moment.

Elsa nodded. "Yes, but my head hurts, and I'm just so confused. What is wrong with me?"

"I think I know," Anna replied, "but you're going to have to come with me."

"Alright." The two girls stood, and after grabbing a lantern for light, Anna led Elsa through the halls until they reached the forgotten storage room that Anna had been shown a few nights ago.

Anna marched straight to the portrait of her family from fifteen years ago and pulled off the white sheet covering it. "Elsa, come look at this." She said, holding the lantern over the portrait.

Elsa slowly stepped forward, staring in awe at the painting. "Who is that?"

"My parents," Anna answered, "though I'm sure you remember them from years ago when you met them."

"Yes, but who's this girl? It doesn't look like you."

"No, it doesn't," Anna replied with a chuckle. "It's my older sister."

Elsa glanced up at the younger girl, confusion on her face. "I thought you were an only child."

Anna shook her head. "I did, too, but a few nights ago, my parents told me I had an older sister named Elsa with blue eyes and white-blonde hair who was kidnapped at three-years-old, just a few months before I was born. I've asked around a little more about her, and I discover that her favorite color was blue, she loved nature, she was kind of quiet, and she really, really liked snow. She was great in snowball fights, and love to build snowmen that she named Olaf." Anna was grinning and sending a pointed look toward Elsa, hoping she'd get the hint.

Elsa, however, only continued to stare at the portrait before grabbing her head again and closing her eyes tight. "I-I remember this portrait. I had to sit still for a really long time, and Mama said she'd give me chocolate if I was good." She opened her eyes and glanced between Anna and the painting, understanding dawning her her eyes. Finally, she said, "That's me, isn't it?"

Anna nodded. "It is. I'm one-hundred percent sure that you are my long-lost sister."

Elsa stared at her in shock. "Really?" she asked in quiet disbelief.

"Yes. The description of my sister matches yours in both likeness and personality, and you look exactly like my mother, especially with that brown hair. Also, you said you recognized this place, and you keep having flashbacks of it." Anna smiled at her friend-no, her older sister, and waited for her response.

Slowly, Elsa's confused expression turned into a smile."You-you're my little sister," she whispered. "I-I helped pick the name; I thought Anna was the best name ever."

Anna nodded and grinned from ear to ear. "Hi there, big sis," she said, holding out her arms.

Elsa grinned just as wide and embraced Anna tightly. "I-I can't believe it," she mumbled, tears streaming down her face.

"I can," Anna replied, beginning to cry as well. "You're just the kind of person I'd want as my sister." The sisters just sat there for a while, hugging each other and crying happily.

Finally, Elsa drew back and wiped her eyes. "When are we going to tell your-my-_our_ parents?"

"I was thinking that we should wait until my dad gets back," Anna replied. "Then we can surprise them together. You might just have to stay out of sight for a few days in between the time my mom gets released from bed-rest and my dad comes home, alright?"

Elsa nodded. "Alright. You can just say that I'm too shy and nervous to see them yet, and I need to work up my courage first."

"Sounds like a plan," Anna responded with a smile. "Hey, it's kind of late. Why don't we go get you some hot chocolate and cookies, and then a warm bed?"

"Sure! I haven't had hot chocolate since I was three!" Elsa replied, laughing.

The two girls stood and walked out of the storage room and down to the kitchen. When they reached the room, they found Kai, the Butler, Olina, the cook, and Gerda conversing together. The servants looked up and gasped when they saw Elsa. "Your Majesty!" Gerda exclaimed. "What are you doing out of bed, hm? You'll make that sprained ankle worse!"

Elsa and Anna glanced at each other and laughed. "I told you, you look just like her," Anna commented.

"Yeah, maybe it's time I wash out the dye," Elsa responded. Then she leaned close and whispered, "Should we tell them?"

Anna nodded. "Yes, we probably should. They're trustworthy, and I think they're smart enough to figure it out even if we don't say anything. _Especially_ Kai and Gerda. Seriously, those two seemed to have eyes on the backs of their heads! They always know everything that happens." Elsa giggled at that. Anna then turned back to the three confused servants. "Kai, Gerda, Olina, I would like you to meet my best friend Elise, who I met in the woods several years ago, remember? However, she is better known as the crown princess of Arendelle and my older sister, Elsa."

The servants' jaws dropped and they all quickly bowed. "Your Highness!" they exclaimed.

Elsa shrunk back a little at the display of respect. "Wait, you believe us?" she asked.

Kai nodded. "Yes, after all, you are almost an exact copy of the queen, and you appear to be the correct age of our princess. I'm sure you have the correct hair color as well under that dye you just mentioned."

"Uh, Kai," Anna spoke up quickly, "can you keep this a secret? I want to surprise my parents when they get back."

"Of course, Princess Anna."

"Thank you," Anna replied before turning to Olina. "Can you please make us some hot chocolate? Elsa hasn't had even one drop since she was three, and that is the greatest horror I can think of!"

The servants and Elsa all laughed at the princess' antics. "Certainly, Your Highness," Olina responded, "it'll just take a minute. Why don't you two have a seat so we can talk some more?"

Elsa and Anna nodded. "After we finish the hot chocolate, I'm going to wash this dye out of my hair," Elsa commented as the two sat down at the wooden table in the middle of the room.

"Yeah, and then we're going to figure out the best way to surprise our parents," Anna replied with a smile.

**A/N So there we have it. Elsa, Anna, and three servants all know the truth. Next chapter, Agnarr and Iduna will find out, as will a few special guests. By the way, the last name I came up with for Elsa's adoptive parents I got from crossing the names Hans and Runeard. Next chapter coming soon!**


	15. Chapter 15

Over the next several days, Elsa managed to keep out of sight from most of those in the castle. A few servants were a bit frightened by the 'ghost' that seemed to appear and disappear at every corner, but some reassuring words from Anna calmed them down. Elsa washed the dye out of her hair, and Anna let her borrow one of her dresses, so now the older girl really looked the the princess she was meant to be.

Iduna wasn't allowed out of bed until the beginning of the week after Elsa's arrival, but finally, the doctor gave his consent for the queen to move about just four days before her birthday. Naturally, she wanted to see Elise, but Anna quickly demurred her by saying how shy Elise was and that the girl needed more time to cope with her surroundings. Iduna graciously complied.

On the same day that Iduna was released from bed-rest, a Coronian ship arrived in the docks, carrying King Agnarr and some guests. When Anna caught word of the visitors' arrival, she left Elsa in the charge of Gerda and rushed off with Kristoff toward the docks.

"Dad!" Anna exclaimed when her father had made his way down the gangplank. She hugged him tightly. "I'm so glad you're back, Dad, I missed you!"

Agnarr laughed and hugged his daughter back. "Me, too, Sunshine."

Anna then gasped in delight when she caught sight of the people behind the king. "Uncle Frederic! Aunt Arianna! Rapunzel and Eugene! So great to see you!" She hugged her aunt, uncle, and cousins as well.

Eugene stretched out his arms and sighed. "Man, I love being in Arendelle in the winter. The cold air that sends an unpleasant chill through your bones, the ice that freezes my smolder-"

"Eugene!" Rapunzel scolded her husband, elbowing him for his sarcastic tone.

Anna shrugged. "It's alright. Honestly, if it weren't for the snow, I think I'd hate winter, too. After all, I'm a fan of everything snow-related, but when it comes to plain icy chill, I am _so_ out of here."

"You should come to Corona then," Eugene responded. "It's not as cold there. Well, except for that one time two years ago when that crazy blizzard nearly destroyed everything, but that's in the past, so who cares, right?" Anna and Rapunzel both raised their eyebrows at the man, and Eugene just coughed awkwardly before turning to speak with Kristoff.

"So, how's the ice business going?" Eugene asked.

"It's great, I guess," Kristoff replied nonchalantly. I got a day off today since it's Saturday. But let me tell you about this funny story that happened with this one guy last week who accidentally fell in the lake…"

"Anyway," Anna said, turning to Rapunzel, her voice lowering in volume and her expression turning serious, "when you and your parents get situated, I have something very important to discuss with you, alright?"

Rapunzel nodded. "Sure! Anything for my cousin." The girls' tone then turned cheerful again, and they chatted together all the way back to the castle.

0o0o0o0o

A few hours later, after Rapunzel, her parents, and Eugene had made themselves at home, Anna gathered them, along with Kristoff and Elsa, into her bedroom. Anna had filled Kristoff in on her discovery, which was why he was allowed in on the meeting. Iduna and Agnarr were busy discussing the details of the king's trip in their own room, so there was no risk of them finding out the secret too early.

"Alright, Anna, why have you gathered us in here?" King Frederic asked.

"I'll start with introductions," Anna began. "Elsa, this is my uncle Frederic, my aunt Arianna, my cousin Rapunzel, her husband Eugene, and well, you already know Kristoff. Everyone, this is Elsa."

"Wait, Rapunzel?" Elsa repeated thoughtfully. "Isn't that the cousin you told me about who-"

"-was kidnapped by a mean ol' lady, to quote my own words," Anna finished. "They found her three years ago, in a tower of all things!"

Elsa chuckled. "You're the one who imagined that's where she was, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Ha! That's ironic."

Eugene huffed and crossed his arms. "You make it sound as if it was the simplest thing in the world, and let me be the first to tell you, it was _not_! Especially considering everything that followed. Seriously, we've had enough adventure to last a lifetime!"

Rapunzel raised an eyebrow. "Eugene, focus please. We can tell them about our adventures later, okay?" Eugene nodded and stayed silent.

"Well everyone, I have a surprise," Anna announced proudly, standing up with a smile on her face. She then motioned to Elsa. "Corona found its lost princess three years ago, and now Arendelle-specifically me since I'm the one who fainted in the blizzard and got rescued by Elsa in the first place-has found theirs! Meet my long-lost sister, Crown Princess Elsa of Arendelle!" Anna playfully bowed, causing Elsa to giggle.

Frederic, Arianna, Rapunzel, and Eugene stared at the two girls in shock for a moment, but then massive grins spread across all of their faces. "Really? Oh, this is wonderful!" Arianna exclaimed.

"I believe it," Frederick commented, "after all, you are almost an exact copy of Iduna."

Rapunzel jumped up and ran over to Elsa, wrapping her in a tight hug. "Wow, I have another cousin! Best day ever!"

"So, how'd your rescue go down?" Eugene asked. "Did Anna have to climb a tower or die to save your life?"

Anna rolled her eyes. "Uh, no. I went unconscious in a blizzard after being chased by wolves, but I sure didn't die. Also, Elsa might explain everything to you, but she definitely wasn't in a tower."

"I lived in a cabin surrounded by a rock wall and hidden away from the world until I escaped at fourteen," Elsa explained bluntly. "I've lived on the North Mountain ever since."

"Do you have magical, glowing, healing hair, too?" Eugene asked with his arms crossed. "Because if you do, after all I've seen, I frankly wouldn't be surprised."

"Um, no, I don't think so," Elsa replied slowly with a weirded out expression. "Wait, did you say-?"

"-Magical glowing hair?" Rapunzel finished. "Yes, that's what he said. I used to have seventy feet of hair that could heal, but then I lost it after it got cut. And then got it back. Then lost it again because it got cut. Long story. Anyway, the gist of it is that I used to have magic and now I don't. The end."

"Okay, then," Elsa responded slowly, a bit confused. She knew she'd have to get the whole story later.

"Come on, Elsa, show them what you can do!" Anna prodded excitedly.

Elsa hesitated, a bit unsure. This cousin of hers said she used to have magic, but Elsa still wasn't entirely keen on trusting others, even though she had seen over the past several days that her father had been wrong, as everyone she met was very kind. "Alright," she finally consented. She waved her arms, creating a gently snowfall in the room.

"Now I know beyond a doubt that you are my niece," Frederic said, watching the snow in awe. "I remember you putting on displays of your magic for us when you were three." Elsa smiled in response as her aunt, uncle, and cousin walked up to her and hugged her tightly, with Anna joining in a moment later. Elsa felt so warm in their embrace, and she wondered what it would be like when she could hug her parents.

"We're so glad you're finally home, Elsa," Arianna said.

Eugene had stood back beside Kristoff to give the family some personal space, but he then took that moment to speak. "You know, this reunion is great and all," the prince commented as he shivered, "but is all this _snow_ really necessary?"

Rapunzel giggled a bit and walked over to her husband before playing ruffling his hair. "Sorry, Elsa, but Eugene kind of has a thing about snow."

Eugene rolled his eyes and pushed away Rapunzel's hand. "Please don't do that, Blondie, you're messing up my hair." His wife only giggled and rolled her eyes. "Anyway, no offense to my wife's new-found cousin, but snow _really_ isn't my cup of tea."

"You should try ice then," Kristoff spoke up. "It's amazing."

"Sorry, but no," Eugene responded with a huff. "I really don't care for the cold. Although, sometimes I'm not sure which is worse; cold as in the weather, or cold as in a person's personality, just like a certain _someone_ we know." He had an annoyed expression at his last words, but a teasing twinkle was in his eyes.

"Who is that?" Elsa asked curiously.

"My best friend Cassandra," Rapunzel responded. "Maybe you'll get to meet her sometime."

Just then, a knock sounded on Anna's door. "Anna, are you in there?" Iduna's voice called. "I thought I heard voices."

Anna motioned for everyone to be quiet. "Uh, yeah, Mom, it's me. What do you need?"

"First, will you please care to explain why there is a cold draft coming from your room?" Iduna asked. "Did you leave your window open again?"

"Uh," Anna stammered. She shot Elsa a look, telling her to do away with the snow, and then ran over to her window before opening it then closing it again. "Sorry, Mom," she called quickly, "it's closed now." Elsa took the hint and vanished the snow with a wave of her hand, and Eugene looked at her with an extremely grateful expression.

"Thank you, dear," Iduna answered. "Anna, supper is in a few minutes, are you coming?"

"Um, yeah, Mom," Anna replied. "I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Alright," Iduna responded before everyone heard the sound of her footsteps fading away down the hallway.

"So, how are we going to tell your parents?" Arianna asked after a moment.

"I have a plan," Anna began excitedly, "but we're going to have to wait until morning to execute it, so Elsa will have to stay away from our parents for a few more hours."

Elsa nodded. "Alright, I'll do that."

"Good," Anna replied. "Now, here's what I was thinking…"


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, Anna woke to the sound of someone knocking on her door. "Who is it?" she sleepily asked.

"It's me, Gerda," the maidservant's voice responded. "Princess, your parents are waiting for you in the dining hall for breakfast."

"Okay, thank you, Gerda," Anna replied through a yawn. Gerda walked away, and Anna slowly sat up and stretched. She was _so_ not a morning person. The princess rubbed her eyes, and then they snapped open when she remembered what she was going to do today. With a grin, she hopped out of bed and hurried to get dressed, moving at a speed that was not normal for her in the mornings.

Ten minutes later, Anna walked into the dining room and sat down beside her mother. Both the king and queen had already begun eating, so Anna muttered a sheepish 'sorry', before digging in to breakfast. Agnarr told stories of his trip, and Anna stared off into space as she ran through the details of her plan to reveal Elsa. It had to be perfect.

"Where's my sister and her family?" Agnarr asked after a few minutes, a quizzical look on his face. "Shouldn't they be down here by now?"

"Yes, and where are Elise and Kristoff?" Iduna asked.

"Uh, I'm sure they'll be here in a few minutes," Anna replied quickly. In truth, Elsa, Eugene, Rapunzel, King Frederic, and Queen Arianna were waiting outside the dining room's doors for Anna's signal. Kristoff was out there as well, although he had protested about interrupting 'private family matters', as he called it. Anna, however, reassured him that he was as much a part of the family as the other members.

"Are you alright, Sunshine?" Iduna asked worriedly.

"Yes, you seemed a bit spaced out." Agnarr added.

"Oh, um, yes, I'm fine," Anna replied. She decided that right then was the perfect time to begin her idea. She took a deep breath and said, "I just can't take my mind off of Elsa."

Iduna and Agnarr glanced at each other. "We know the feeling," Agnarr responded.

Anna knew it was now or never. "I just can't help but wonder what it would have been like to build a snowman with her. We could have had tons of snowball fights."

Another look passed between the king and queen. "Anna, there's actually something we need to tell you," Iduna finally said, nodding at Agnarr.

"Elsa, well, she loved the snow just as much as you do, but there's something else," Agnarr began. Anna nodded, trying to contain her excitement. "Sunshine, have you ever heard the stories of select people who were granted with special, magical abilities?"

"Yes," Anna replied, trying to not grin.

"Well, sweetie, this isn't a secret we've shared with most, but your sister…she was one of those people.

Anna tried her best to look shocked. "Really? Wow!"

Iduna smiled. "She had snow magic. With a wave of her hand, she could make it snow in July or freeze a fountain in August."

"Her abilities were so beautiful," Agnarr continued, "and I called her 'Snowflake'."

"Aw!" Anna exclaimed, loving the sweet nickname for her sister. Now that she had conformation on Elsa's magic, Anna launched the next stage of her plan. "Do you think she's still alive?"

Agnarr sighed. "Sunshine, with all my heart, I hope she is. I hope that, like Rapunzel, she will be found, but it's been a long time. Sadly, I fear something has happened to her by now."

Anna gave a sad smile, barely holding back a grin. She was shaking all over, giddy with excitement. "Dad, Mom, I was just curious," she began, staring absently at the opposite wall so her parents wouldn't suspect anything, "what would you do if she was still alive? I mean, I kind of keep imagining her walking through the door right now, because that would be awesome, even if it might be impossible. But what would you do if she did? What would you say?"

"I would hug her tightly and never let go again for fear of losing her again," Agnarr said sincerely.

"I would hug her, too, and cry and tell her how much I've missed her," Iduna added.

Anna nodded. "Thanks, that's all I needed to hear. I'm glad you told me about her magic, because I've been puzzling over that detail for several days."

Iduna and Agnarr stared at their daughter quizzically. "What do you mean, Sunshine?" Agnarr asked.

"Oh, just that you might get to act out that scenario we just talked about in like, say, the next five seconds," Anna replied in a mysterious tone, unable to contain the massive grin that forced its way onto her face. She turned her head toward the door, and before her parents could react, called "Elsa, you can come in now. The rest of you, please make sure she actually steps into the room and isn't too nervous."

After a moment, the door slowly eased open and Elsa shyly poked her white-blonde head into the room. Then she quickly slipped inside, shutting the door behind her, and stood facing her family, her hands folded behind her back. "Hello, Mama, Papa," the eighteen-year-old greeted quietly.

All the color drained from Anna's parents' faces, and they went rigid with shock. Anna motioned for Elsa to come closer and the older girl complied, moving a few, shy steps toward her parents. Meanwhile, Iduna and Agnarr slowly stood up, then gripped each other for support. "So, the story of how I found her is really interesting…but right now is _clearly_ not the time to tell it, so I'll shut up now," Anna said. She watched happily as Elsa, Iduna, and Agnarr stared at each other, the king and queen from shock and Elsa from wonder. "Elsa, show them," Anna spoke up after a moment. She wanted to give her parents one final conformation that it was indeed their daughter who stood before them.

Elsa took another step forward. Slowly, she held out her left hand and created a snowflake, letting it hover for a few minutes. "I remember now. I remember you calling me 'Snowflake'…Papa," she said, not yet used to calling him that.

It was Iduna who made the first move. With a sob and a smile, she ran forward. Elsa covered the distance between them until the two were standing only an arm's length apart. Slowly, she reached out a hand and touched Elsa face, as though checking to see if her daughter was really there. The she and Elsa embraced for the first time in fifteen years. "Elsa," Iduna choked out in a barely perceptible whisper.

"I'm here, Mama, I'm here," Elsa replied. She now knew why the king and queen had looked so familiar all those years ago, and her memories were rapidly returning. She remembered her mother's warm smile, her father's protective hugs, and the wonderful family she had been missing for years.

Agnarr moved next. He walked over to Iduna and Elsa, stiff as a board, as he was still in shock. However, he stopped two feet away and just stared. He felt so guilty for letting his daughter be kidnapped, and he was afraid she wouldn't forgive him.

Elsa then glanced up and looked at her father, who appeared to be about to break down crying at any moment. She turned to Anna, who nodded with a smile on her face and inclined her head to the king. With that, Elsa rushed over to her father and hugged him as tight as she could. "I love you, Papa," she said.

Agnarr finally hugged his daughter back and leaned his cheek down on the top of her head. "My little Snowflake," he whispered, "can you ever forgive me? For letting them take you from me?"

Elsa nodded happily. "Of course, Papa. It wasn't your fault."

Iduna and Anna then took that moment to join in the hug, and the four Arendelle royals shared together the first embrace they had ever had as a whole family, every member crying happy tears at having found each other at last. And Elsa, well, she felt so warm and loved and protected that she wondered how she had ever lived without the love from her parents and sister.

A cough behind the family startled them, and they turned to find Rapunzel's family and Kristoff waiting at the door. "Uh, sorry to interrupt, but we're kind of starving here since we haven't had breakfast," Eugene said, earning a scolding nudge from Rapunzel.

Agnarr beamed and nodded. "Of course, let's all sit down." They did so, and Elsa sat between her parents, Agnarr sitting at the head of the table, while Anna sat on the other side of Iduna, across from Rapunzel, who was sitting between Eugene and Arianna.

After a moment of looking around in confusion, Iduna turned to Anna. "Sunshine, where is Elise?"

"Beside you," Anna replied simply, shoving a forkful of food into her mouth.

"What?" Iduna asked. Elsa and Anna leaned forward and glanced at each other, then burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused," Agnarr said, and Iduna matched his expression.

When the sisters had ceased their laughter, Anna explained, "Mom, Dad, Elise was just a name we came up with for Elsa, because she didn't want her real name known. After hearing about my lost sister, I eventually connected the dots and figured out it was Elsa. She put brown dye in her hair the first day she met you because her 'parents' had told her that her hair color was weird. She put some dye in again this time, but she washed it out several days ago. It's a good thing, too, because then it'd look like we have two Queen Iduna's, which would be confusing."

"Ah, well, that explains why she was looking at us so strangely fifteen years ago," Agnarr commented. "She probably recognized us."

Elsa nodded. "I did, but I just couldn't remember why or from where until a week ago when Anna showed me the portrait of us when I was three."

"My daughter was in the castle the whole week, right under my nose, and I didn't notice?" Iduna exclaimed, shaking her head.

"If it's any consolation, Rapunzel and Eugene explored Corona on Rapunzel's birthday, and Fred and I were completely clueless," Arianna spoke up.

Eugene snorted. "Yeah, I'm actually surprised the _guards_ didn't notice, what with Blondie's _extremely_ long hair and me being a _wanted thief_. The stupidity of those guards sometimes…" Eugene trailed off, shaking his head in annoyance.

"Well, at least now they have _Captain Eugene_ to put them in shape," Rapunzel reminded him, nudging her husband's arm.

"Good point."

Elsa stared at the two with a raised eyebrow. "I have a feeling that I need to get that story out of you _sooner_ rather than later," she said.

Just then, Iduna gasped and her hand flew to Elsa's left cheek. "Elsa!" she exclaimed in horror, fingering the scar. "Where on earth did this come from?"

"I kind of wanted to ask about that, too," Anna added.

Elsa sighed and reached up her left hand, laying it over her mother's. "My father-er, one of the men who captured me, gave me this as punishment when he found out I went outside the rock wall concealing our cabin."

Everyone gasped in shock. "Wow, all that just for leaving?" Rapunzel asked. "When my mo-the person I thought was my mother, at least, found out I left the tower, she was upset, but then I thought she'd gotten over it when she kindly led me 'home'. Of course, then when she found out that I knew who I really was, she tied me up and then killed Eugene, but still, yikes!"

"Alright, now I _really_ need to hear this story," Elsa said, leaning forward, placing her elbows on the tabletop, and resting her chin on her folded hands.

"Oh, it's a good one," Anna spoke up, swinging her fork around for emphasis with her mouth full of food.

"Anna, manners!" Iduna scolded.

"Oh, sorry."

"Yeah, their story is amazing," Kristoff commented. "I especially like the part where Eugene dies."

Eugene gasped. "Excuse me? I take offense to that! I'll have you know that me dying is no laughing matter! I'm going to start calling you Cassandra the Second if you keep talking like that!"

Kristoff rolled his eyes. "That's not what I meant and you know it. I like it because it's really neat how Rapunzel healed you. Calm down." Eugene huffed, slumping back in his seat in annoyance, while Rapunzel giggled.

"Okay, Elsa," Rapunzel said, "we'll tell you the whole story, but how about we finish breakfast first and then head to the library? We can talk better there." Everyone agreed and hurried to finish their food.

Several minutes later, the Arendellian and Coronian royals and Eugene were seated comfortably by the fire in the castle's library. "So, what's your story?" Elsa asked. "Start at the beginning, please."

Eugene smiled and stood up. "Well, how do I start? Oh, I know a perfect way!" Putting on the most serious face possible, he said dramatically, "This is the story of how I died." Rapunzel giggled while Kristoff and Anna rolled their eyes. "Uh, don't worry," Eugene added quickly, "this is actually a very fun story, and to be honest, it isn't even mine. This is the story of a girl named Rapunzel."

Anna groaned. "_Come on_, Eugene, we're not toddlers!"

Eugene crossed his arms and glared at the fourteen-year-old princess. "Listen, Redhead, this is my way of telling it, and you either let me do it my way, or you can be grossed out by Reindeer Boy's weird songs about troll nostrils."

"Hey!" Kristoff protested.

"Wait, trolls?" Elsa asked.

"Uh, we'll explain later," Anna replied quickly. "Trust me, we have a lot to tell you."

"And if you'll let me continue, we can get done with this story quicker," Eugene said, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Sure, honey," Rapunzel told him, "go ahead."

"Anyway, as I was saying," Eugene continued, "this is the story of a girl named Rapunzel. Now, once upon a time, a single drop of sunlight fell from the heavens…"

**A/N So, two chapters in one day, yay! Anyway, this story is drawing to a close now. I have at least one more idea that I want to do, so there will be at least a chapter or two more. Also, I received a comment asking if I was planning on a sequel, and to be honest…the thought hadn't even crossed my mind until then. I have an idea now, though. Basically, it'd follow the events of Frozen 2, except different since it's set in this AU universe. For example, Elsa would still hear a mysterious voice and follow it to eventually discover her purpose as the Fifth Spirit, but their parents will accompany the girls on the journey, among other changes. It would happen a little earlier, though it would be set three years after this story, but Elsa and Anna would be twenty-one and eighteen instead of twenty-four and twenty-one. I'm still thinking it through though, so it'll be awhile, especially since I need to wrap up several other stories first before I think of starting a new one. But please tell me in the comments if you'd like to see such a story.**

**One other thing, for those who have read my story titled ****Frozen Mirror****Trouble****, I received a few comments complaining that Frozen 2 Elsa and Anna weren't in the story. Like I wrote in the description of the story, I wrote it, like, the spring or summer ****_before_**** Frozen 2 came out. One or two people asked for a rewrite that would include the Frozen 2 Elsa and Anna, and I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to do that. See, I have so many different stories going on (way more than are posted on here), that if I start a rewrite, it will most likely either never get done, or not be completed for a long, ****_long_**** time. For example, I wrote a story around a year ago about Elsa's point of view throughout Frozen, and I liked it at the time, but then I realized that it could use some more thought. I also wanted to write it through first-person view instead of second-person, which is what the original was. I'm sad to say that I haven't made it past the first or second chapter. So see, this is why a rewrite for ****Frozen Mirror Trouble**** probably won't happen. However, I am writing another story that is a bit similar, and it does include Frozen 2 Elsa and Anna, but I'm a bit stuck on it at the moment. Hopefully I can finish it soon and post it, and I hope it will suffice instead of the impossible rewrite. Anyway, next chapter (hopefully) coming soon. **


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N Alright, so to clear up some confusion that seems to be happening, let me just make this clear. Elsa is eighteen and Anna is fourteen-and-a-half. Yes, I know they are three years apart, but Elsa's birthday is in the winter and Anna's is in the summer, which makes them exactly three-and-half years apart. At the time of the story, it's the middle of January, so Elsa has just recently had her birthday the month before, whereas Anna hasn't had hers yet, since her birthday is in the summer. Yes, I know the two girls were twenty-one and eighteen in _Frozen_, but this is a AU. I have made them a bit younger for this story. And yes, I know what 'whereas' means. **

**I'm sorry for the confusion; I thought I made it clear how old they are. And to help a bit more, in the first chapter of the story Elsa is three, in the second chapter Anna's five, then it jumps a year to the day before Elsa's ninth birthday. When she runs away she's fourteen-and-a-half, then the chapter goes until after her fifteenth birthday. After that chapter, the timeline jumps back a couple of years to when Anna's ten. Then we eventually get to the present, where Elsa's eighteen and Anna's fourteen. Hope that helps.**

Later that night, Elsa trudged wearily to the room she was sleeping in until the old one could be fixed up. The day had been exciting, but now she was exhausted. Eugene had barely started his story before the family realized that they had to prepare for church, so they all had to put the tale on hold, much to Eugene's annoyance. After the service, King Agnarr made an announcement about Elsa's return, and her welcome back celebration was set to coincide with Iduna's birthday party, at the queen's insistence. Then the two royal families and Kristoff had a large, lavish dinner, after which they were all able to hear the rest of Rapunzel's and Eugene's story. Later, after supper, the royals had gone out to the town for a stroll, and the citizens were delighted to see their new-found princess.

Now though, Elsa just hoped to have a good night's rest. She changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed. She closed her eyes, and soon she was fast asleep.

0o0o0o0o

Fear. Rough hands grabbing her. A bottle of water shoved into her mouth that had a sleeping pill concealed in it. Desperation.

Elsa tossed and turned, drowning in the midst of a nightmare about that night fifteen years ago when she had been taken from her true family. It all seemed so real, even though it had happened long ago.

Elsa's eyes shot open when she felt cloth and rough hands. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw the cold, menacing eyes staring at her. "Hush now, this'll all be over soon," her captor told her as he tied the gag behind her head.

Elsa's blood ran cold as she recognized the voice. _Papa_. The eighteen-year-old desperately reached up her hand and grabbed the man's arm, digging her fingernails into his skin.

However, Will didn't react. Instead her gave her a toothy smile that terrorized her to the bone. "Nice try, _princess_," he spat. "You're not going to get away so easily this time. In fact, you won't get away at all." Elsa's eyes widened in fear as Will stood up and glowered down at her while he pulled something from his pocket. She instantly recognized the object as the knife he had used to cut her cheek with several years ago.

_Help_! Elsa thought desperately. _Someone help me, please! _She tried to scream, but nothing came out. It was as if her voice had left her, and it had nothing to do with the gag in her mouth. She tried to kick him, but her legs wouldn't move, she tried to blast him with her powers, but her arms were held down by something that she couldn't see.

Then, Will plunged the dagger down toward her heart.

With a scream, Elsa bolted upright in her bed, panting in fear. Her terrified eyes darted around the dark room, only to discover nothing. Still shaking with fright, Elsa placed a hand on her chest to calm her racing heartbeat and wiped her sweaty forehead with the other hand.

After reassuring herself that everything was fine, Elsa closed her eyes and lay back down, only to be startled by several crackling sounds. She felt around in the dark, and discovered that her sheets were covered with frost. She groaned and laid an arm over her eyes. She hated it when she froze her blankets. After all, this wasn't the only time she had done such a thing because of a nightmare.

The princess sat up, reached over, and turned on the oil lamp beside her bed. With a grimace, she saw that the floor was covered in ice and several icicles were scattered all over the room. All the ice glowed red to express her fear. If Will were here, he would be so mad she didn't even want to think about what he'd do to her. The last time he discovered that she'd accidentally iced over her room, he had beat her and made her go without lunch and supper.

Elsa closed her eyes and tried to will the ice away, but nothing happened, as usual. Will had taught her to never be afraid of using her powers to defend herself, along with the fact that people would probably hate her for them, but he and Elsa had never figured out the key to properly controlling them. Elsa lay down and closed her eyes again, figuring the ice would melt eventually; it always did.

A few minutes later, the door slowly eased open and Elsa froze in fear. She opened her eyes, sat up once more, and pointed a hand toward the doorway, ready to blast whoever the intruder was. "Wh-who's there?" she asked shakily.

Anna's shy face poked around the door a moment later. Her eyes widened when she saw Elsa's hand aimed at her, and she slowly stepped into the room, her arms raised in surrender. "It's just me, Elsa, calm down."

Elsa relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief as she lowered her hand. "Anna," she began, "I'm sorry, I just-"

Anna shook her head. "No, it's alright." She stepped toward the bed, but then slipped on the ice and fell on her backside. The surprised look on the fourteen-year-old's face was so priceless that Elsa couldn't help giggling, which led to a chuckle from Anna, which led to several snorts from both girls, until the two princesses were in the depths of outright laughter.

"I probably should have warned you about the ice, Anna, sorry about that," Elsa apologized when she had finally stopped laughing.

"Yeah, that would have been helpful," Anna muttered as she slid over to the bed, pulled herself into a standing position, and rubbed her sore backside. "Anyway, are you okay?" She asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "I heard you screaming and came to investigate."

Elsa nodded and shivered as she recalled the events of her nightmare. "Yes, I'm fine. Just a nightmare."

Anna raised an incredulous eyebrow as she glanced around the room. "From the state of your bedroom, I _really_ don't think it was 'just a nightmare'. There's at least two inches of ice covering the floor. Not to mention that creepy, red glow."

Elsa dropped her gaze down to her lap and nervously wrung her fingers. "I know, and I'm sorry. I've never really figured out how to control my magic, so it bursts out whenever I'm extremely sad or terrified."

"I can see that," Anna quipped as she cautiously tapped the tip of a nearby icicle. "I think we need to go to the trolls sometime soon. From what Kristoff has told me the past several days, they sound like they'd be able to help."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to do that," Elsa replied with a shrug. She shivered again as she thought of Will's heartless eyes and the knife in his hand.

Anna noticed and gave her sister a concerned look. "Are you sure you're alright? Why don't you tell me about your nightmare, sis? It might help."

Elsa sighed and nodded. "First I dreamed about the night I was taken, then Will-the guy I thought was my adoptive father for years-came back and tried to kill me, and that's basically it."

Anna smiled sympathetically. "That really sounds terrifying. D-do you want me to sleep with you? Would that make you feel better?"

Elsa hesitated for a moment, but then shyly nodded. "Sure, that'd be great."

Anna grinned from ear to ear. "Awesome! Our first sisterly sleepover!" With a happy squeal, she threw her arms around Elsa. Elsa chuckled and hugged her sister back. Anna then crawled around to the empty side of the bed and slipped under the covers. "Goodnight, Elsa," she said with a smile as she yawned and closed her eyes. "I love you."

Elsa smiled down at her sister. "I love you too, sis." A warmth filled her then, so comforting that Elsa forgot all about her nightmare. All she could think about now was the fact that she now had a family who loved her. She glanced around the room one last time and, to her surprise, found that all the ice had vanished. Elsa was puzzled at that, but she shrugged it off and lay down beside her sister, falling asleep in seconds.

0o0o0o0o

Some time later, Elsa was stirred from her sleep when she felt someone urgently shaking her side. She opened her eyes and they widened when she saw Anna's frightened gaze staring back at her. What caught her attention next was the white cloth gag on Anna's mouth. Elsa instantly tried to scream for help, but found a gag on her own mouth, too.

Anna turned her head toward the middle of the room, and Elsa followed her gaze. With a horrified gasp, Elsa recognized the figure standing at the end of the bed and sneering. It was Uncle Ben. Before Anna or Elsa could try to call for help again, Uncle Ben lifted a crossbow into the air. "Here's what you get for leaving, _princess_," he snarled as he aimed the weapon at Anna.

"NO!" Elsa screamed, suddenly able to be heard. Somehow the gag had left her mouth. Elsa tried to shoot Uncle Ben with ice, but her magic was unresponsive. The eighteen-year-old could only watch in horror as the evil man pulled the trigger.

Time seemed to slow as the arrow flew through the air, then struck Anna square in the chest. The younger princess gave a cry of pain as the metal tip bore into her flesh. She turned to Elsa, her eyes full of tears and signs of pure agony. "Elsa," she whispered, before going still.

Elsa screamed as she took in the sight of her dead sister. She noticed a flash out of the corner of her eye and turned to see Uncle Ben now aiming at her. She thought she heard her name being called again, but before she could fully register who it was, the arrow left the crossbow and barreled straight toward her chest. With a sickening squish sound, the bolt embedded itself into her heart. Elsa was a bit surprised at how she felt no pain, but all that couldn't compare to everything else. Uncle Ben had just shot her. He was in her room, alive. Who knew what had happened to her parents. And most of all, Anna was dead.

Elsa wanted to scream again, but she couldn't. All she could was watch Uncle Ben's wicked face as everything around her turned to black. "Elsa!" The princess glanced around in confusion when she heard the voice again. It had sounded like Anna, but Anna was dead, right?

"_Elsa_!" There it was again.

"Elsa, wake _up_!"

"Wake up?" Elsa repeated in confusion, glancing around hopefully in the darkness for her sister. Someone was shaking her.

"Yeah, it's just a nightmare!"

With that, Elsa's eyes flew open, and she found herself staring straight into Anna's worried face. "Wha-?" Elsa asked.

Anna's expression turned to a relieved smile and she hugged Elsa tightly. "I was _so_ worried about you!" she exclaimed. "I woke up and saw you tossing and turning, and there was more ice everywhere, and you were mumbling to yourself, and then you started screaming, so I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't listen, and-" She stopped and grinned sheepishly. "I'm rambling, aren't I?"

Elsa only smiled and hugged her sister just as tightly. "I'm sorry for scaring you," she mumbled.

Anna shook her head and pulled back. "It's fine. I'm more worried about you at the moment. What was your nightmare about this time?"

Elsa sighed and looked down at the blankets. "My uncle Ben was in the room. He had a crossbow and shot the both of us. He-he killed you." The older princess dissolved into tears, and Anna drew her in for another hug.

"It's alright, sis," Anna soothed, "I'm here, and I promise I'm not dead."

Before either girl could say anything more, the door burst open and Agnarr and Iduna rushed into the room. "Is everyone all right?" Iduna asked worriedly.

"We heard screaming," Agnarr added. He glanced around the room-which was not as dark since the sun was beginning to rise-as if to make sure there was no one there who would hurt his daughters.

"Elsa just had a nightmare," Anna explained, "But I think she'll be okay."

It was then that the king and queen noticed the ice covering the floor. "What on earth?" Iduna asked as she skirted nervously around a very sharp-looking icicle.

"I'm sorry, Mama and Papa," Elsa apologized, hanging her head in shame. "I can't control it when I have nightmares like this."

"That's fine, Elsa," Agnarr reassured her with a smile as he and Iduna sat down on the edge of the bed. "I think it's understandable."

"What happened in your nightmare?" Iduna as in concern.

Elsa looked away, still shaken up from what she'd seen, so Anna decided to answer the question instead. "She actually had two nightmares, Mom. The first was about her adoptive father trying to kill her, and the second was about her adoptive uncle shooting both of us with a crossbow."

Agnarr scowled and clenched his hands into fists. "Those villains will pay for what they've done to my daughter."

"Yes, I think it is time we brought them to justice," Iduna agreed, looking equally as angry.

"Elsa, would you like us to find those people and punish them?" Anna asked.

Elsa hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. "I think it'd make me feel better if I knew they were behind bars."

"Excellent," Agnarr replied with a nod. "We shall seek them out in the morning."

"You only need to tell us where they are," Iduna added.

"Alright, I will," Elsa responded, yawning. "But first, I wanna get some more sleep. I haven't exactly had the easiest night."

Iduna chuckled softly. "I understand. I'm so sorry you've had a rough night."

"Group hug!" Anna exclaimed randomly. When she received blank stares and raised eyebrows, she shrugged sheepishly and replied, "What? Warm hugs make everything better." Everyone else nodded in agreement, and then the family of four embraced each other tightly.

"I love you all," Elsa whispered. "I'm _so_ glad to have you back." As she said those words, all the ice melted away.


End file.
